Former KY prison worker says health care company falsified medication logs
This story has been updated to reflect new information from Wellpath and the Department of Corrections.
A former mental health therapist at a Kentucky prison says the state’s prison health care provider falsified inmate medication logs, according to a federal whistleblower lawsuit.
Daniel Farley, a former Wellpath employee working at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex, also claims he was directed by supervisors to administer treatment to inmates who refused care, and some staff members supervised clinical staff despite not having proper licensing.
Farley says he was fired for reporting the problems to prison administrators.
Farley’s lawsuit, filed April 7 in federal court in Kentucky, is the latest significant claim against Wellpath, an embattled company that provides health care for prisoners in several states, including Kentucky.
Wellpath has come under fire for failing to maintain insurance to pay out wrongful death settlements, as well as providing negligent care. The company declared bankruptcy in November 2024.
It remains the health care provider for all 14 of Kentucky’s prisons after the state signed a new, two-year contract with the company in July 2024. The state is paying Wellpath $72 million this fiscal year.
Despite the active contract, several state agencies sued the company in March, accusing it of having fraudulent insurance.
The Kentucky Department of Corrections has contracted with the company, formerly Correct Care Solutions, since 2014.
“We do not condone medications being withheld, falsifying medical logs, or denying inmates access to health care,” said Morgan Hall, spokesperson for the Kentucky Department of Corrections.
The suit lists only Wellpath as a defendant. Neither the DOC nor the prison where Farley worked is included.
Former employee says he was fired for reporting concerns
Farley began working at Wellpath in July 2023 as a mental health therapist providing care and counseling services to inmates at EKCC, according to the lawsuit.
Farley reported several practices to his superiors and human resources that he said violated ethical and legal standards. The filing does not indicate when he reported the concerns.
Hall said Farley did not report these claims to the Department of Corrections leadership or Human Resources teams.
One example Farley cited was that staff would falsify medication logs by marking that an inmate had refused medication when staff had not tried to dispense it, or when the inmate was away at a court appearance.
Farley was fired by Wellpath on Sept. 2, 2025, according to the suit.
The lawsuit did not mention if Farley had any documented reprimands that which could have contributed his termination.
Farley’s complaint alleges claims of retaliatory discharge and wrongful termination in violation of public policy. He is seeking compensatory and punitive damages and payment of back wages.
One of Farley’s attorneys, Michael Austin, said the lawsuit was one step to make the necessary changes.
“(Farley’s case) is just one we know about,” Austin said. “It doesn’t include everyone else that has been negatively impacted. It is not fair to the people who need the services that Wellpath claims to offer.”
Wellpath says former employee violated professional standards
Skip Thurman, a spokesperson for Wellpath, issued a statement that called Farley’s lawsuit, and the fraudulent insurance lawsuit, “meritless.”
Farley became “separated” after the company became aware that he violated professional standards, including conduct that resulted in a referral to the Kentucky Board of Social Work, Wellpath said.
That investigation remains ongoing, according to Wellpath.
“The decision to terminate was clearly justified and supported by objective evidence, including documentation and video reviewed at the time,” the statement read.
Wellpath said Farley’s allegations “directly contradict established facts” and are a “transparent attempt to manufacture a claim for retaliation and financial gain rather than any legitimate concern about patient care.”
“We will aggressively defend against these claims and are confident that the full record will expose this lawsuit for what it is, a meritless attempt to distort the facts for personal benefit,” Wellpath’s said in the statement.
This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
