Christine Perry
A Warren County woman is charged with TennCare fraud involving “doctor shopping,” or using the TennCare program to go to multiple doctors to obtain controlled substances. The Office of Inspector General (OIG), with the assistance of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, today announced the arrest of Christine Perry, 66, of Spencer, Tennessee. Perry is charged with 11 counts of fraudulently using TennCare to obtain controlled substances by doctor shopping for the painkiller Hydrocodone, using TennCare to pay for the doctor visits. “Prescription drug abuse is a focus of communities, healthcare providers and law enforcement across Tennessee, working together to address the issue in multiple ways,” Inspector General Deborah Faulkner said. “Our mission is to find those people abusing TennCare to get prescription drugs, and making it clear to everyone that there will be repercussions for this activity.” TennCare fraud is a Class E felony carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison. 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 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or log on to www.tn.gov/tnoig and follow the prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”
