At the International Association of Special Investigation Unitsconference's opening general session, which was held earlier lastweek on Sept. 11, One Beacon's Dave Nicholson attempted to convinceIASIU members of the importance of a cohesive merging of the IASIU,the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, and the National InsuranceCrime Bureau.

Nicholson sought to convince IASIU attendees that the merger wasa necessary and judicious move, not only for the three bodies thatwould be affected by the move, but also for the future success ofthe industry's continuing fight. The fight, according to Nicholson,centers on the fraud initiatives that continue to bleed theindustry of billions of dollars annually.

In a business meeting held the following day, IASIU PresidentDan Fitzgerald emphasized that the full participation of themembership was needed in the voting process. Glenn Wolf, IASIUboard member, led a presentation for conference attendees thatoutlined the structure of the new group if it were accepted by allthree organizations. According to Wolf, a merged associationwould:

Renew the view on fighting fraud.

Addresses issues/concerns raised by the IASIU membership.

Provide existing membership with an overall say in thefraud-fighting agenda.

Allow more frequent and impactful national and regionalconferences.

Financial and administrative support for chapters.

Better leverage the SIU membership for information sharing andlegislative efforts.

Allow cutting-edge research into insurance fraud issues.

Attract more carriers and broader support for the fight againstfraud.

Give front-line investigators a strong say and influence.

The presentation was followed by intense debate amongstattendees, most of whom seemed to be opposed to such a merger.However, until a final proposal is presented, an official votecannot be taken by the organization. A “show-stopper” meeting todetermine issues or items that must be included for the merger toeven be considered took place earlier this week.