Insurance Commissioner Jones Announces $32 Million in Grants to Local Law Enforcement to Fight Workers' Compensation Insurance Fraud
News: 2012 Press Release
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones today announced that nearly $32 million in grants will be distributed to District Attorneys in California by the California Department of Insurance (CDI) in order to support their efforts in investigating and prosecuting workers' compensation insurance fraud.
"Without question, workers' compensation insurance fraud is problem that brings a significant cost with it in California," Commissioner Jones said. "During any time, but especially during these challenging economic times, this type of fraud places a significant added burden on the system. We have an obligation to provide protection to injured workers who require both care and compensation so they are able to get back to work as quickly as possible, while also rooting out fraud perpetrated by those seeking to game the system."
Every year, the Fraud Assessment Commission determines the grant funding based on assessments placed on California employers. CDI leads the Workers' Compensation Grant Review Panel that reviews and makes grant funding recommendations based on multiple criteria including previous year performance based on application submitted by counties. Subsequently, the panel then sends a recommendation to the Insurance Commissioner who either accepts or amends the panel's recommendation. Upon completion, the Commissioner's recommendation is submitted to the Fraud Assessment Commission for their advice and consent.
The Fraud Assessment Commission agreed with the Commissioner's recommendations in their meeting on June 20, ratifying the grant allocations. Below is a list of funding to the counties:
Insurance Commissioner's Funding Recommendation |
|
---|---|
Alameda | $1,425,916 |
Amador | $413,186 |
Butte | $108,600 |
Contra Costa | $603,400 |
El Dorado | $257,247 |
Fresno | $1,122,000 |
Humboldt | $178,400 |
Imperial | $143,087 |
Kern | $715,000 |
Kings | $269,791 |
Lake | $44,698 |
Los Angeles | $5,937,916 |
Marin | $233,731 |
Merced | $94,012 |
Monterey | $600,000 |
Napa | $130,153 |
Orange | $3,588,116 |
Plumas | $0 |
Riverside | $1,488,786 |
Sacramento | $884,657 |
San Bernardino | $2,206,339 |
San Diego | $4,527,303 |
San Francisco | $702,366 |
San Joaquin | $478,031 |
San Luis Obispo | $62,254 |
San Mateo | $660,318 |
Santa Barbara | $286,000 |
Santa Clara | $2,452,358 |
Santa Cruz | $149,332 |
Shasta | $166,000 |
Siskiyou | $33,007 |
Solano | $173,388 |
Sonoma | $74,419 |
Tehama | $83,528 |
Tulare | $504,393 |
Ventura | $729,984 |
Yolo | $246,676 |
TOTAL | $31,774,392 |
Led by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the California Department of Insurance is the consumer protection agency for the nation's largest insurance marketplace and safeguards all of the state’s consumers by fairly regulating the insurance industry. Under the Commissioner’s direction, the Department uses its authority to protect Californians from insurance rates that are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, oversee insurer solvency to pay claims, set standards for agents and broker licensing, perform market conduct reviews of insurance companies, resolve consumer complaints, and investigate and prosecute insurance fraud. Consumers are urged to call 1-800-927-4357 with any questions or contact us at www.insurance.ca.gov via webform or online chat. Non-media inquiries should be directed to the Consumer Hotline at 800-927-4357. Teletypewriter (TTY), please dial 800-482-4833.