Owner said Braking Point would treat Medicaid clients for free if permitted

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Braking Point Recovery Center owner Ryan Sheridan responded to notification of suspension of Medicaid payments for alleged fraud, saying that “such incidents were unknowing and inadvertent.”

On Friday morning Sheridan said Braking Point received a notice of suspension of payments from the Ohio Department of Medicaid, which had determined that “a credible allegation of fraud exists based on evidence that the company is allowing a physician to dispense Suboxone without proper authorization from the Drug Enforcement Administration.”

In an emailed statement Saturday, Sheridan said that “upon learning of this error two weeks ago, Braking Point took immediate measures to remedy the situation.”

Sheridan said Braking Point “hopes and intends” to work through this concern in the administrative appeal process.

Notwithstanding, Sheridan said Braking point “has every intention of complying with any and all of the directives and requirements of the suspension issued by the ODM,” which specifically prohibits Braking Point from providing services to Medicaid consumers, which, he said, represents virtually all of the 180-plus patients the organization serves.

Because there are too few facilities to address the needs of those impacted by the opioid crisis, “many, if not most of Braking Point’s patients will be displaced and the gap in their treatment of counseling will have a devastating impact with relapse extremely possible.”

Braking Point is optimistic that any issues are correctable and that in short order it can continue to provide services to its clients via Medicaid.

In the meantime, Sheridan said, Braking Point wishes to continue to provide services to its clients, even without remuneration, as its utmost concern is the continued care, treatment and counseling of those afflicted by this national epidemic.

Other local and state addiction treatment agencies are trying to pick up the slack.

“We don’t want people to panic. We’ve reached out to our network of agencies and told them to expect a possible influx of patients,” said Duane Piccirilli, Mahoning County Mental Health & Recovery Board executive director.

“Of utmost concern are the detox clients who are in the middle of a three- to seven-day medical-monitored course of treatment,” said Brenda Heidinger, the board’s associate director.

The Braking Poing Medicaid fraud probe is led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. An FBI spokeswoman said the results of searches conducted Wednesday at Braking Point facilities in Austintown and the Columbus-area and Sheridan’s Leetonia home are sealed and she declined to provide details about the case.