State officials have arrested three more people for alleged TennCare fraud, according to new press releases from the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration.
The people arrested are from Davidson and Gibson counties, the press releases said.
Authorities charged the Davidson County resident, Robert Lee Nesbitt, Jr. 54, with TennCare fraud for allegedly posing as the spouse of a TennCare enrollee in order to pick up her prescription for the painkiller Oxycodone.
Authorities said he went to a pharmacy and claimed he was the enrollee’s spouse so he could obtain the painkillers. They charged Nesbitt with one count of TennCare fraud for making a false statement and receiving benefits he was not entitled to receive, according to the press release.
Meanwhile, authorities charged two Gibson County residents with using the identity and TennCare benefits of each other’s minor children in nearby Madison County, a press release said.
The Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the Gibson and Madison County Sheriffs’ Offices, arrested Bertha Campos, 30 and Maria Vega, 42 both of Trenton. Authorities charged them with two counts of TennCare fraud and two counts of identity theft.
“Authorities say that initially, Ms. Campos’ child broke an arm and then used the TennCare benefits of Ms. Vega’s child to pay for the related medical expenses. Authorities say a few weeks later, after Ms. Campos enrolled her child in TennCare, Ms. Vegas’ child broke the same arm as the previous child,” the press release said.
“To avoid suspicion among hospital officials, Ms. Vega used the identity of Campos’ child to obtain medical care, using TennCare as payment.”
The OIG is separate from TennCare and began full operation in February 2005. The OIG 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, 3,083 people have been charged with TennCare fraud, the press release said.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Just the tip of the iceberg. And the loony left want to expand this joke of a program. No way!