Investigator Says BWC to Remain Aggressive at Fighting Comp Fraud

Tuesday, June 27, 2017 | 0

Ohio is one of the most aggressive states in the nation at fighting workers’ compensation fraud, which amounts to hundreds of million dollars each year, an investigator said Friday.

Speaking to the Lima Chamber of Commerce’s monthly breakfast meeting, Mike Fannon, Bureau of Workers’ Compensation assistant special agent in charge of employer fraud, said 5% to 20% of all claims are fraudulent, costing the state between $100 million and $400 million each year.

“That’s a lot of money, and that’s why the state of Ohio is very aggressive in workers’ compensation fraud,” Fannon said, as reported by The Lima News. “We are one of the most aggressive states in the country in combating fraud.”

In 2016, the BWC’s special investigations unit received 2,707 allegations of fraud, closed 1,503 of those cases and secured 127 convictions, saving the state $56.6 million, the newspaper reported.

“We don’t want to make employers criminals,” Fannon said. “If we can get them into the system and doing what they’re supposed to do, that’s our goal. They need to pay what they’re supposed to pay so it’s fair for everybody. If they won’t do that, we’ll have to go the criminal route.”