IASIU Working To Extend Global Reach

Palms Springs, Calif.

The International Association of Special Investigation Units iscontinuing to live up to its name by expanding efforts to functionas a global organization, the president of the fraud-fighting groupsays.

“Insurance crime is perpetrated by those who dont knowinternational borders,” Tommy L. Short, who is with Columbus,Ohio-based Nationwide Insurance, said here last week at theBaltimore-based IASIUs annual seminar.

He said that IASIU now has a Scandinavian chapter and has alsobeen meeting with a group from Brazil. “We would like to see allour methods of doing business compatible across internationalborders,” according to Mr. Short.

He said the organization, on May 4-6 of next year, will hold ananti-fraud training session for European members in Copenhagen.

As part of its efforts to focus on international operations, hesaid the group needs to make some changes in membershiprequirements because investigative departments in other countriesoften are structured differently within their organizations.

Mr. Short also announced that IASIU has taken a position inopposition to California Senate Bill 658, which he said wouldcreate problems for insurance investigators by, among other things,making it more difficult to conduct examinations-under-oath.

SB 658, sponsored by Sen. Martha Escutia, D-Whittier, wouldcreate new requirements, including:

A requirement that the insurer pay reasonable costs for anattorney of the policyholder if the insurer has an attorney at theexamination-under-oath.

A limitation on questions to those that are “relevant andreasonably necessary” to prove the claim.

The right to reasonable notice of the time and place of theexamination.

The right to assert an objection to any question if that sameobjection may be made in a deposition under state or federallaw.

The right to be represented by counsel.

Reproduced from National Underwriter Property &Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition, September 21,2001. Copyright 2001 by The National Underwriter Company in theserial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this articleas an independent work may be held by the author.

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