In August, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the Justice Department would dispatch 12 federal prosecutors to cities ravaged by addiction who would focus exclusively on investigating health care fraud and opioid scams.The Northern District of Alabama is included in the pilot program. Huntsville doctor Shelinder Aggarwal pleaded guilty to illegally distributing a controlled substance and health care fraud and was sentenced to 15 years in prison in February. He also had to forfeit $6.7 million and a clinic. “We wanted to send prosecutors where there is significant prescription opioid abuse and health-care fraud, and where there are sufficient resources to support additional cases being brought,” said Justice Department spokeswoman Lauren Ehrsam.The department used three criteria to determine the target areas: • State opioid prescription rates • The number of outlier opioid physicians in the area who are prescribing prescription opioids far in excess of their peers after their specialty and other factors are taken into account; • State prescription opioid overdose rates. In 42 Alabama counties, including Morgan and Lawrence, more than 112 prescriptions for opioid painkillers were written for every 100 people in the county in 2016, according to the CDC. In three Alabama counties, Walker, Franklin and Colbert, more than 200 prescriptions for opioids were written for every 100 people in 2016, according to the CDC. Though more people are likely seeing their friends and family impacted by opioid addiction, state Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, D-Red Bay, said they don’t know what to do about it. Morrow helped organize a town hall on the crisis.The event was held Wednesday at the University of North Alabama. Harris, Libell, state Attorney General Steve Marshall and the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Mental Health, Lynn Beshear, were among the scheduled participants who fielded questions about the government’s role in the epidemic. Though Wilbourn said he is glad lawmakers are paying attention to the issue and listening to the public, he said people shouldn’t wait on new legislation to start a movement. “We as individuals and a community can’t wait around and let lawmakers do something. We have to take ownership of this,” he said.
“We as individuals and a community can’t wait around and let lawmakers do something. We have to take ownership of this.”
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