Watonga Psychiatrist to Pay $173K in Medicaid Fraud Case

WATONGA, Okla. — A Watonga psychiatrist has agreed to pay $173,000 to the State of Oklahoma to settle allegations he knowingly submitted false claims to the Oklahoma Medicaid program, SoonerCare.

Details of the Case

Dr. Richard Zielinski is accused of “upcoding” claims — billing for more expensive patient evaluations than were actually provided — between January 2019 and June 2021. The lawsuit alleged that these claims were then submitted for payment to the state program.

State officials say the settlement resolves the civil lawsuit without admission of wrongdoing, but underscores the importance of protecting public funds.

“This sends a clear message that the state will hold providers accountable when taxpayer dollars are at stake,”an Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office spokesperson said.

The state says the recovered funds will be returned to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, which oversees SoonerCare.