Sun Orthodontix

National Orthodontix Mgmt, Pllc, doing business as Sun Orthodontix,^[1] and previously Orthodontix LTD, is an orthodontics office company.^[2] The company has six offices in Texas and New Mexico,^[3] including three in El Paso, one in Corpus Christi, one in Victoria, and one in Las Cruces, New Mexico.^[4] John G. Vondrak is the founder of the company.^[5] In 2010 records from the State of Texas stated that the company collected $9.6 million in Medicaid funds. In 2010 it was the second-largest biller for dental braces under Medicaid in the state.^[6]

On February 17, 2012, the State of Texas placed a payment hold on the company.

Down's syndrome or muscular dystrophy.^[10] The Office of Inspector General of the commission had investigated several companies in Texas for orthodontic Medicaid fraud.^[9]

In September 2012 the

Jim Moriarty, a lawyer who had started a lawsuit against All Smiles Dental Centers, accusing it of orthodontics fraud, said "The FBI doesn't show up when they think you've committed a crime... they know you've committed a crime long before they show up."^[6]

Vondrak sold this company to his daughter, Camaron Martin, and a family friend, Ashley Smith, and the chain's name is now SmileLife Orthodontics.[11]

References

^ "National Orthodontix Mgmt, Pllc dba Sun Orthodontix (Headquarters) - Corpus Christi - Texas - USA - D&B". dnb.alacrastore.com.
^ "Orthodontix LTD is now Sun Orthodontix." Sun Orthodonix. Retrieved on September 30, 2012.
^ "About Sun Orthodontix." Sun Orthodonix. Retrieved on September 30, 2012.
^ "Locations." Sun Orthodonix. Retrieved on September 30, 2012.
^ "Our Founder, Dr. John G. Vondrak." Sun Orthodonix. Retrieved on September 30, 2012.
^
KVUE, Alternate location at KHOU
.

^ ^a ^b Borunda, Daniel. "Sun Orthodontix allegations draw scrutiny." El Paso Times. July 20, 2012. Retrieved on September 30, 2012.
^ Borunda, Daniel. "Sun Orthodontix health-care fraud inquiry hits patients." El Paso Times. July 18, 2012. Retrieved on September 30, 2012.
^
Victoria Advocate
. September 3, 2012. Updated on September 4, 2012. Retrieved on September 30, 2012.
^ Koppel, Nathan. "Texas Drills Down on Medicaid Dental Fraud." The New York Times. Updated August 19, 2012. Retrieved on September 23, 2012. "Medicaid, a federal-state program that insures lower-income people, typically covers only severe orthodontic conditions, such as children born with a cleft palate or those with dental problems resulting from Down syndrome or muscular dystrophy."
^ "Sun Orthodontix is now SmileLife Orthodontics." (Archive) Sun Orthodontix. Retrieved on September 7, 2013.

References

Further reading