MARSHALL COUNTY COUPLE ARRESTED FOR TENNCARE FRAUD
TENNCARE BILLED FOR FORGED PAINKILLER PRESCRIPTIONS

NASHVILLE – Two Marshall County residents are charged today with TennCare fraud after officials say they used a TennCare card to get forged prescriptions filled at a local pharmacy. The Office of TennCare Inspector General (OIG) announced the arrest of 29-year-old Amanda Marie Harris and Timothy Craig Spain, 34, both of Lewisburg.

Harris – who is a TennCare enrollee - faces a felony charge of fraudulently obtaining TennCare medical services by telephoning a pharmacy in Lewisburg with a prescription order for the painkiller Loratab. Spain is accused of aiding and abetting Harris by picking up the prescription knowing that it was forged and paid for by TennCare.

“This is a great example of a pharmacy that was alert to the tactics some people will use to obtain prescription painkillers,” Inspector General Deborah Y. Faulkner said. “Tennessee pharmacies are getting more and more tuned in to the aspects of TennCare fraud, and we depend on them to help us identify these cases so we can prosecute them.”

The charge against both Harris and Spain are Class E felonies, punishable by up to two years in prison. Bond was set at $ 3,000 each. Marshall County District Attorney Mike McCown is prosecuting.

Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or log on to www.tennessee.gov/tenncare and follow the prompts that read “Report Fraud Now.”

TennCare is the state’s managed care health insurance program for 1.3 million people who are poor, disabled or uninsured.