Thursday May 19, 6:47 pm ET
BAKERSFIELD, Calif., May 19 /PRNewswire/ — As part of its commitment to fight workers’ compensation insurance fraud, State Fund held a seminar May 18 at the Valley Plaza’s Pacific Theatre where more than 200 Kern County employers heard State Fund and law enforcement officials outline a problem that robs California’s economy of millions of dollars each year.
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The seminar included presentations from Kern County District Attorney Ed Jaggels, Deputy District Attorney David Wolf, State Fund Fraud Investigation Program Manager Donna Gallagher and fraud investigator Brad Burks from State Fund’s Bakersfield District Office.
“We are very appreciative for the high level of interest among Kern County employers in helping us and law enforcement officials fight fraud which drives up costs in California’s workers’ compensation insurance system,” said State Fund Vice President George Vignolo who spoke at the seminar. “It is truly gratifying to see the response and commitment from the Bakersfield community.”
According to Gallagher, “Insurance fraud is the number two ‘white collar’ crime in the nation.” She added, “David Wolf is responsible for developing and inspiring a team that has made the Kern County District Attorney’s Workers’ Comp Fraud Unit into a force to be reckoned with.”
Deputy District Attorney Wolf highlighted a number of fraud convictions in Kern County and called State Fund “the most aggressive insurer with which I work.”
State Fund’s District Offices schedule free fraud seminars for system stakeholders — including employers and brokers — throughout the year. Kern County employers can call 661-664-4003. State Fund is sponsoring a fraud seminar on Friday May 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel, 285 Hospitality Lane in San Bernardino. Featured speakers include San Bernardino County Lead Deputy District Attorney Workers’ Compensation Fund Unit, Tracy Bartell, Donna Gallagher and State Fund Government Relations Officer Pat Quintana. For more information, please call 909-499-6925.
State Fund’s Fraud Investigation Program (FIP) addresses all aspects of workers’ compensation insurance fraud, including employee, employer, medical, legal and internal. In the last decade, State Fund’s FIP has produced hundreds of arrests and convictions in a wide range of workers’ compensation cases, including some considered milestones in California’s fight against fraud.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Established by the California Legislature in 1914, State Compensation Insurance Fund is a self-supporting, nonprofit, fairly competitive public enterprise that provides workers’ compensation insurance coverage at cost to California employers. State Fund is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information about State Fund, please visit www.scif.com.
Jim Zelinski (For State Fund) Vicente Hernandez – 415/565-1683
415/882-7787 or 415/420-6050
Source: State Compensation Insurance Fund