"Doctor Shopping" Charges in Franklin County

A Franklin County, Tenn. man has been indicted for "doctor shopping," or going to multiple doctors in a 30 day period to get drug prescriptions and using TennCare to pay for the drugs or the office visit.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced the arrest of George R. Goff, 52, of Cowan. Goff is charged with ten counts of fraudulently obtaining controlled substances by "doctor shopping." Goff failed to disclose to his doctors that he had seen other physicians within a 30-day period and received similar prescriptions for the painkiller Hydrocodone. All ten physician office visits were paid for by TennCare.

"The 'doctor shopping' law passed by the Legislature is a valuable tool in cracking down on people who are abusing the program," Inspector General Deborah Faulkner said. "Physicians across the state have applauded this new law and our efforts to stop people from doing this."

TennCare fraud is a Class E felony carrying a sentence of up to two years per charge in prison. District Attorney J. Michael Taylor is prosecuting.

The OIG, a law enforcement agency separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has worked cases leading to the arrest of 610 individuals for TennCare fraud, with over $700,000 paid in restitution to TennCare, and total estimated cost avoidance in TennCare of over $75 million, according to latest figures.

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.tncarefraud.tennessee.gov and follow the prompts that read "Report TennCare Fraud."