Washington State became the 41st state to adopt a coordinatedapproach to fraud fighting by opening a fraud bureau and adding afraud prosecutor.

Adding an insurance fraud prosecutor ensures a steady focus oninsurance swindles, said Howard Goldblatt, director of governmentaffairs for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud.

The new law also clarifies that insurers can be fraud victims,allowing insurers to receive restitution from schemes. Among theother key provisions is a mandate that requires insuranceapplications and claim forms to carry language warning offraud.

“The new fraud bureau puts swindlers on notice that Washingtonis serious about combating insurance fraud and helping keepcoverage affordable in the state,” Goldblatt said.

The new law takes effect July 1. It will be funded by theinsurance department's operating budget. Insurers will not beassessed a fee to cover the unit's operating costs. Statescurrently without insurance fraud bureaus include Oregon, Wyoming,Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Alabama, RhodeIsland, Vermont, and Maine.