Tennessee officials have charged two out-of-state women with TennCare fraud in separate cases.
The women live in Kentucky and Virginia. Per state law, only Tennessee residents may participate in the TennCare program. The taxpayer-funded TennCare is Tennessee’s version of Medicaid.
According to a Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration press release, authorities arrested Tasha Testerman, 35, who relocated from Tennessee to Virginia, and charged her with TennCare fraud and theft of services. State officials said Testerman allegedly filed false information to obtain TennCare benefits.
“Testerman is charged with TennCare fraud and theft of services over $10,000 but under $60,000,” according to the press release.
“Authorities say when Testerman lived in Tennessee, she falsely reported custody of her son in order to obtain TennCare benefits for herself and her child. This misrepresentation resulted in TennCare paying $42,040.21 in fees and claims on their behalf.”
The theft of services charge is a class C felony and the TennCare fraud charge is a class D felony. If convicted, Testerman could face penalties of up to a maximum of 27 years in prison for the charges. Sullivan County District Attorney Barry P. Staubus of Sullivan County is prosecuting, according to the press release.
Authorities also arrested Christina L. Wetterau, 36, of Hopkinsville, Ky. and charged her with TennCare fraud and theft of property. Authorities said in a press release that Wetterau allegedly claimed she lived in Tennessee to obtain healthcare insurance benefits through TennCare.
“Investigators say Wetterau allegedly reported a Tennessee residence in order to obtain TennCare benefits when her actual residence was in nearby Kentucky, resulting in TennCare paying $14,291.91 in fees and claims on her behalf,” according to the press release.
The theft of property charge is a class C felony and the TennCare Fraud charge is a class D felony. If convicted, Wetterau could face penalties of up to a maximum of 27 years in prison. Hickman County District Attorney Kim R. Helper is prosecuting, the press release said.
Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982, toll-free or by logging on to www.tn.gov/oig/ and following the prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
When I see the photo of that young lady in the “Tennessee Officials Charge Virginia and Kentucky Women with TennCare Fraud…” article, I become enraged. She is slowly being fed alive into a system of drug abuse, fraud, and misery that will soon kill her. People responsible for rigging and protecting a system like TN Care that results in such carnage should be fed slowly alive into another kind of device that results in maximum entropy of their miserable hides.
We the people should be ashamed to allow such a brutalizing system to continue in our state. I think that we the people are better than this. I think the problem lies in the TN statehouse being led around by the nose by self-enriching lobbyists. Let’s all campaign to get this scourge fixed.
Sorry but she has a mind of her own.
When are the people of Tennessee going to realize that TennCare has been and still is a giant scam operation feeding doctors, pharmacists, pharmaceutical and medical appliance salespersons, politicians, and out of state grifters and drifters attracted here because we are easy marks? There are ways to clean up this medical safety net operation but our state legislature continues to fail to engage the problem.
CCW. Right on!
And, by the way, are any of the many, many TennCare thieves prosecuted and put into jail? Highly publicizing such prosecutions and penalties MIGHT act as a deterrent for others thinking about stealing from you and me.