ROGERS, Ark. — Dr. Brian Hyatt, a Rogers psychiatrist, has officially been charged with two counts of Medicaid fraud by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin.
The AG's office released a statement on Wednesday, Nov. 29, saying the charges were officially filed in Pulaski County Circuit Court.
The two charges of Medicaid fraud—a Class A felony—stem from alleged crimes committed while Dr. Hyatt was the director of the Northwest Medical Center's behavioral unit in Springdale. The AG's office accuses Hyatt of making over $300,000 in fraudulent Medicaid claims.
On Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, the arrest warrant for Hyatt was formally issued.
Since Hyatt's contract was terminated by Northwest Medical Center in May 2022, dozens of former patients at the behavioral unit have filed lawsuits against him, accusing Hyatt (and his staff) of keeping them against their will in order to claim more in Medicaid.
Hyatt stepped down from his position on the state medical board after the state's investigation into his alleged Medicaid fraud. In May 2023, a $1.1 million settlement was reached with Northwest and the Arkansas Attorney General's office.
Out of the three codes to bill Medicaid, code 99233 is typically only billed by providers for the most unstable patients with significant complications, which also called for more money from the government to treat them.
The investigation notes that between Jan. 1, 2019, and May 2022, 99.9% of Dr. Hyatt's claims for Medicaid were billed under code 99233. For reference, the document states that during that same timeframe, only about 21% of Medicaid billing was for the highest code on average nationally.
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