Lawrence Co. Man Charged with 21 Counts of TennCare Fraud

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A Lawrence County man is charged with 21 counts of TennCare fraud involving doctor shopping, which is using TennCare to go to multiple healthcare providers in a short time period to obtain controlled substances.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG), with the assistance of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, today announced the arrest of Michael M. Kelley, 60, of Lawrenceburg.

A Lawrence County Grand Jury charged Kelley with 21 counts of TennCare fraud involving doctor shopping, using the state healthcare insurance program as payment.

“When a suspect is investigated for more than one instance of a crime, we will pursue charges for all the crimes we have evidence to support,” Inspector General Manny Tyndall said. “We appreciate and value the hard work of the physicians across the state and their efforts in helping us develop these cases.”

TennCare fraud is a Class E felony, carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison per charge. District Attorney General Brent Cooper is prosecuting.

The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to over $3 million being repaid to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of over $163.6 million for TennCare, according to latest figures.  To date, 2,283 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 log on to Office of Inspector General and follow the prompts that read "Report TennCare Fraud."