Two People in West Tennessee Charged with TennCare Fraud

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Residents of Shelby and Carroll County are charged with felony counts of TennCare fraud in unrelated cases.  

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced the arrests:  

• Mary E. Moore, 36, of McKenzie, is charged in Madison County with two counts of fraudulently obtaining controlled substances by doctor shopping, or visiting multiple doctors in a short period of time to obtain the painkillers Oxycodone and Hydrocodone, using TennCare as payment. District Attorney General James Woodall is prosecuting.
• Amy Ingram, also known as Amy Powell, 40, of Memphis, is charged in Shelby County with TennCare fraud and theft of services. An indictment accuses her of intentionally failing to disclose her full income to the state in order to obtain TennCare healthcare insurance benefits. District Attorney General Amy T. Weirich is prosecuting.

“We could not be successful without the help of local law enforcement officers in identifying these cases, and helping us build evidence or assisting in making the arrests,” Inspector General Manny Tyndall said. “We hope everyone, including local providers and citizens, will ask for our assistance or let us know when they suspect TennCare fraud.”                                                   

As of July 1, 2016, TennCare fraud was changed to a Class D felony punishable by up to four years in prison.

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, 2,713 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.

Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or visit the website and follow prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”