Meigs Co. Woman Charged 5th Time with TennCare Fraud
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A Meigs County woman is now facing her fifth round of TennCare fraud charges.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced the arrest of Elizabeth A. Lamb, 39, of Decatur. She is charged in a McMinn County indictment with fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance by doctor shopping. The charges accuse her of seeing multiple providers in a short time period, using TennCare benefits to obtain prescriptions for the addictive painkiller Hydrocodone.
Lamb’s first four arrests were all between March and July of 2015, in Meigs, Bradley, Hamilton and McMinn Counties. In those cases, which were all investigated at the same time, she was charged with doctor shopping for the painkillers Hydrocodone, Oxycodone and Tylenol #3, using TennCare as payment. In addition, Lamb has been charged with violating her probation related to the prior TennCare fraud charges.
“The abuse of TennCare benefits, especially to obtain pain medications, is one of our many priorities,” Inspector General Manny Tyndall said. “Law enforcement and the healthcare community have been focused on this for several years, and now the focus is mainstream to crack down on opioid abuse. We are committed to eliminating this activity in TennCare.”
District Attorney General Stephen Crump is prosecuting. TennCare fraud is now 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, 2,922 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 800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or visit the website and follow the prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”