A Stamford, CT-based ophthalmologist has filed a federal lawsuit against the state's Department of Social Services (DSS) after being named as the first doctor the agency recommended for Medicaid fraud prosecution, claiming that he is the victim of a campaign of retribution by angry officials. Weber's suit also names the state attorney general's office, alleging, among other things, that assistant state's attorney Nancy Salerno acted "maliciously" in executing a search warrant during business hours rather than asking for the files she needed.
Dr. Richard Weber says he was targeted by the agency after writing a letter to a state representative criticizing DSS's audit practices. Not long after the state rep forwarded his letter to DSS, with a request to investigate, the agency recommended that Weber be considered for criminal prosecution. DSS claimed Weber had misused a Medicaid billing code (99070), used for collecting additional payments for procedures performed at a doctor's office with specialized equipment, despite the having previously recommended he use that code.
To learn more about the case:
- read this Hartford Courant article