Hamden Psychiatrist To Pay $310K In False Claims Settlement: Feds

HAMDEN, CT — A Hamden psychiatrist accused of employing a physician who had lost his license and receiving reimbursement for the services has reached a $310,874 false claims settlement with state and federal officials.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and U.S. Attorney for Connecticut Leonard C. Boyle announced the settlement with Dr. Alan Siegal to resolve state and federal False Claims allegations on Wednesday.

Siegal, the sole owner of Geriatric and Adult Psychiatry LLC (GAP) in Hamden, was accused of employing former physician Eric Ressner from 2016 to 2021. Ressner had lost his license to practice medicine in 2006 following a healthcare fraud conviction in Florida, according to a news release.

“Because of his conviction, Ressner was prohibited by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General from participating in government healthcare programs,” officials wrote in a news release. “When an individual is excluded from federal health care programs, no program payments may be made for services furnished, ordered or prescribed by that excluded individual or entity. Anyone who hires an individual or entity that is prohibited from participating in government healthcare programs may be subject to civil monetary penalties.”

Ressner was employed at Geriatric and Adult Psychiatry as an administrator and billed and received reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and RR Retirement for services provided to patients, according to officials.

“Some of those funds were used to pay the salary and benefits of Ressner, despite his exclusion from all federal health care programs,” officials wrote.

The Attorney General’s Antitrust and Government Program Fraud Section coordinated with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services and the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General to “analyze data and develop the investigatory lead that resulted in today’s settlement,” according to the release.

“For five years, GAP used federal and state reimbursement funds to pay a staff member who had been excluded from participating in government healthcare programs because of a fraud conviction,” Tong said. “The Office of the Attorney General takes seriously our responsibility to safeguard our public healthcare programs and is prepared to take strong action against anyone who violates that public trust.”

The total settlement to be paid is $310,874, with $8,005.54 paid to Connecticut Medicaid, according to the release.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General maintains an online searchable database of excluded entities and individuals that can found here.

Anyone with knowledge of suspected fraud or abuse in the public healthcare system is asked to contact the Attorney General’s Antitrust and Government Program Fraud Section at 860-808-5040 or by email at ag.fraud@ct.gov; the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at 860-258-5986 or by email at conndcj@ct.gov; or the Department of Social Services fraud reporting hotline at 1-800-842-2155, online at www.ct.gov/dss/reportingfraud, or by email to providerfraud.dss@ct.gov.