Shelby Co. Woman Charged with TennCare Fraud

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A Shelby County woman is charged with TennCare fraud involving prescription drug fraud and forgery. The Office of Inspector General (OIG), with assistance from Memphis Police, today announced the arrest of Nikeisha N. Futch, 28, of Memphis.

Futch is charged with four counts of TennCare doctor shopping and two counts of forgery. Charges accuse her of visiting multiple doctors in a short period of time to obtain controlled substances, using TennCare as payment. She’s also accused of altering the quantity of pills on a legitimate prescription for the painkiller Lortab.

“Prescription drug fraud takes many forms, and altering the prescription to change the quantity is just one of the methods that pharmacists are on the lookout for,” Inspector General Manny Tyndall said.  “We’re thankful pharmacist are catching this and following up when they have suspicions. Before the OIG came into operation, providers had limited resources to pursue questionable prescriptions.”

TennCare fraud is a Class E felony carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison per charge.  District Attorney General Amy T. Weirich is prosecuting.

The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to more than $3 million being repaid to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of more than $163.6 million for TennCare, according to latest figures. To date, more than 2,533 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.

Through the OIG Cash for Tips Program established by the Legislature, Tennesseans can get cash rewards for TennCare fraud tips that lead to convictions.  Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or go to www.tn.gov/tnoig/  and follow the prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”