A Coffee County man is charged with TennCare fraud for using the program to obtain a prescription for a controlled substance, which he later sold to someone else.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG), with the assistance of the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, today announced the arrest of Harold Grant Lovelace, 54, of Manchester. He’s charged with TennCare fraud in connection with using TennCare benefits to obtain a prescription for the painkiller Hydrocodone and later selling a portion to a confidential informant.
“Tennesseans won´t allow this kind of abuse of the state´s public health program, especially considering the amount of prescription drugs that are being sold illegally,” Inspector General Manny Tyndall said. “TennCare drug fraud is one of our prime targets, and we´re working these cases across the state.”
District Attorney General Craig Northcott is prosecuting. 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, 2,732 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.
