Washington Appoints Advisory Board for Fraud Unit

Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has appointed a special advisory board to monitor the effectiveness of the agency’s newly launched fraud unit.

Earlier this year, the agency’s eight-member Special Investigations Unit began operations following the 2006 Legislature’s establishment of a dedicated fraud unit to investigate and prosecute organized insurance fraud. The newly appointed advisory board is charged with advising the Insurance Commissioner and the Legislature on the unit’s effectiveness, funding, use of resources, staffing and other issues in the battle against insurance fraud.

The new advisory board includes representatives from the insurance industry, consumers, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, county prosecutors and law enforcement, Kreidler said.

Members include:
* David Lyons, State Farm Insurance, (industry) two-year term
* Glenn Kaleta, Safeco Insurance, (industry) four-year term
* John Tolton, Regence Group, (industry) one-year term
* Janet Paulson, Pemco, (industry) three-year term
* Bill Baldwin, Insurance Brokers & Agents of the West, (industry) three-year term
* Bill LaBorde, Washington State Public Interest Research Group, (consumer) three-year term
* Kent Davis, Law Firm Technology Specialists, (consumer) one-year term
* Dana McDonald, National Insurance Crime Bureau, two-year term
* Joe Wheeler, Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office (prosecutor) four-year-term
* Steve Boyer, Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office (law enforcement) four-year term

The advisory board will meet at least twice a year, with the first meeting scheduled for June.

Visit the Special Investigation Unit’s Web site: http://www.insurance.wa.gov/consumers/Fraud/fraud_dirdefault.asp for more information.

Source: OIC