Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones today announced nearly $32 million in grants to District Attorneys across the state to assist them with the investigation and prosecution of workers’ compensation insurance fraud.
“Workers’ compensation insurance fraud is a costly problem in California,” said Commissioner Dave Jones. “As the economy struggles to recover, fraud of this type creates an additional strain on the system. We must protect those injured workers who need care and compensation so they can return to work in a timely manner and bring to justice those who seek to cheat the system.”
The grant funding is the result of assessments on California employers that are determined annually by the Fraud Assessment Commission. Counties submit applications to the Department, which convenes the Workers’ Compensation Grant Review Panel who then reviews and makes grant funding recommendations based on multiple criteria including previous year performance. The panel then forwards a recommendation to the Insurance Commissioner who either accepts or amends the panel’s recommendation. Once completed, the Commissioner’s recommendation is submitted to the Fraud Assessment Commission for their advice and consent.
The grants are subject to approval in the final state budget (FY 2011-12). A list of funding by county is available here.
Source: CA DOI