Attorney General Andy Beshear announced his Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is part of a local, state and federal team recently honored with a federal award for its work in the 2016 conviction of an opioid over-prescribing southern Indiana doctor.
The United States Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General’s Honor Award for Quality, Safety and Value recognizes Beshear’s Medicaid fraud investigators for their work in the January 2016 conviction of Dr. Jaime Guerrero who was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison on 35 drug and health care fraud counts.
Guerrero was also ordered by a federal judge to pay nearly $1 million in restitution. Guerrero is currently serving his sentence at the federal prison camp in Ashland, Kentucky.
“Investigations and convictions like this are more important than ever as Kentucky and our surrounding states face the worse drug epidemic our nation has ever seen,” Beshear said. “This doctor on some dates would issue more than 100 prescriptions for hydrocodone, spending 3 minutes or less per patient. We must continue to partner and use every resource if we are going to fight the scourge of drugs at every level. I’m proud of my office for its hard work in this case and thank the numerous other agencies we not only worked with, but with whom we share this award.”
The award also honors investigators from HHS, FBI, DEA, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky, Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Louisville Metro Police Department.
“Your work on this investigation did a great service to the citizens of Indiana and Kentucky,” said Chris Covington with HHS Office of Inspector General. “It is impossible to predict how many lives might have been lost had Guerrero continued his dangerous prescribing practices.”
HHS announced this and other awards nationwide May 9.
One of the core missions of Beshear’s is to fight back against the pervasive substance-abuse epidemic and to protect Kentucky’s most vulnerable citizens from abuse and exploitation. Since taking office, Beshear has recovered over $8.5 million for the state through Medicaid provider fraud recoveries. The Attorney General’s tip line for reporting allegations of Medicaid provider fraud is 877-228-7384.
Story provided by: Kentucky Attorney General’s Office