Sullivan Co. Woman Repays State

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A Sullivan County woman is ordered to repay TennCare as part of an order in a plea agreement with the court stemming from TennCare fraud charges.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced sentencing for 38-year old Jennifer Carter of Bristol. In a plea agreement, Carter is ordered to pay TennCare $18,630.58 in restitution as well as a fine of $700. She was placed on six years supervised probation.

“We hope those that are abusing the TennCare program are getting the message that we are aggressively pursuing TennCare fraud and making arrests statewide,” Inspector General Manny Tyndall said. “We made 36 arrests in April and we have many more cases we are building.”

Carter was charged in October of last year with fraudulently obtaining TennCare benefits by falsely claiming that her children lived with her, in order to qualify for benefits. She was charged with five counts of TennCare Fraud and two counts of theft of services.

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, 2,360 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."