Washington, DC – The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud selected its newest Public Interest co-Chair, Michelle Rafeld. To maintain a fair balance, the Coalition requires one co-Chair come from the insurance industry and the other from the public service or consumer sector. Rafeld is the first woman to hold the co-Chair position in the organization’s nearly 30-year history.
Rafeld is an active and highly visible member of the fraud-fighting community. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the NAIC’s Antifraud Task Force and is the Assistant Director of Fraud and Enforcement at the Ohio Department of Insurance. She brings more than 25 years of experience at the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and the Ohio Department of Insurance to her new role as co-Chair.
“I look forward to sharing my experience and expertise with the Coalition in my role as co-Chair. The organization is changing and growing rapidly, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to shape its future as the Public Interest co-Chair.” Rafeld said.
Rafeld sees the significance of her selection as an opportunity to bring more women into high visibility positions in insurance fraud.
“I hope that my service as the first woman to hold this position with the Coalition inspires more women to seek leadership roles within our field.” Rafeld said.
Also joining the Executive Committee will be Ken McEldowney. McEldowney is the Executive Director of Consumer Action –– a national consumer educational and advocacy organization based in San Francisco. The organization has addressed challenges in insurance, utility, privacy, health care, internet, banking, postal and telephone issues on behalf of consumers. In addition to his administrative responsibilities, McEldowney represents the consumer interest before state and federal regulatory bodies and Congress.
Consumer Action has been a long term member of the Coalition,” McEldowney said. “I look forward to playing a more active role as a member of the Executive Committee and using my new role to help drive down the burden of insurance fraud on consumers.”
The Coalition is the nation’s only alliance uniting all groups against insurance fraud. The Coalition is composed of more than 230 member organizations. Its diverse membership unites consumer advocates, insurers, government agencies, legislators, prosecutors and other committed partners under the Coalition’s anti-fraud banner.
Source: Coalition Against Insurance Fraud