A Calgary dentist who admitted to defrauding multiple insurers of nearly $700,000 could face time in a federal penitentiary, a prosecutor told the court Friday. The case highlights one of the largest Dental Insurance fraud schemes seen in Alberta in recent years.
Dr. Alena Smadych, 55, has pleaded guilty to submitting falsified claims for dental treatments that were never performed. She originally admitted to defrauding two insurers of more than $126,000. After three additional companies came forward, she acknowledged another $558,074.96 in fraudulent claims. In total, prosecutors say Smadych collected $684,348.10 from five Dental Insurance providers between 2013 and 2023.
Crown prosecutor Greg Whiteside argued that fraud of this magnitude could warrant a five-year sentence. However, he recommended a punishment near the upper end of a two- to three-year range, noting that Smadych made full restitution. Whiteside also pointed out that Smadych has a previous fraud conviction from 2007, later pardoned, which now factors back into her record.
Investigators first grew suspicious in 2021 when Sun Life flagged unusual billing patterns, including a single day in December 2020 when her clinic submitted more than $19,000 in claims for 17 patients. Whiteside told the court that Smadych’s office filed more root canal claims than any other general clinic in Canada.
Defense lawyer Alain Hepner said Smadych voluntarily repaid more than $500,000 to three insurers before any charges were laid. He argued that her cooperation, restitution, and remorse justify a conditional sentence served in the community rather than prison time.
Smadych addressed the court and apologized for her actions. Justice Gord Wong acknowledged her remorse but said it carries limited weight at this stage of the proceedings.
Wong is expected to deliver his sentencing decision in January, closing a high-profile case that has intensified scrutiny on Dental Insurance fraud across the province.
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Tags: Dental Insurance