SEVIER CO. WOMAN ARRESTED FOR TENNCARE FRAUD

NASHVILLE – A Sevier County woman has been charged with TennCare fraud for using TennCare to pay for forged prescriptions for a painkiller and an anti-depressant.

The Office of TennCare Inspector General (OIG) today announced the arrest of 21-year-old Jessica McMahan of Kodak, Tennessee. A Pigeon Forge Police Officer stopped her for a traffic violation, when the fraud warrant was discovered and served. She was charged with using her TennCare card to pay for a forged prescription of Hydrocodone and Xanax, at a Sevierville pharmacy in February.

“Prescription drugs costs are growing faster than any area of the TennCare budget,” Inspector General Deborah Y. Faulkner said. “We are committed to weeding out TennCare fraud, especially those cases involving fraudulently-obtained drugs.”

If convicted, McMahan faces up to two years in prison.

The Office of TennCare Inspector General was created in 2004 by Governor Phil Bredesen and the General Assembly to go after TennCare fraud with more investigative tools and resources.

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.