Posted On: April 28, 2004, 1:55 pm CDT

Posted By: Pat Brogan

This type of fraud, while perhaps not as common as run of the mill claimant fraud, is rampant and actually costs more than claims fraud. Medical provider fraud and premium fraud account for much larger dollar losses than claimant fraud. Regrettably, the industry seems fixated on the easy convictions available in the claimant fraud arena. Think premium fraud is rare, try www.premiumfraud.net or do a google search on "premium fraud" + conviction. It's out there, it's ubiqitous, and we're not policing it. Like any other fraud, at the end of the day, the consumer picks up the tab in the form of higher rates.