The International Association of Investigation Units announcedyesterday that Ed Welch, an SIU investigator for State FarmInsurance, was named its 2007 Investigator of the Year for a probethat saved his company more than $1.3 million.

Mr. Welch was among four persons honored at the group's 22ndAnnual Seminar & Expo on Insurance Fraud being held in LasVegas.

National Insurance Crime Bureau's Special Agent Fred Burkhardtreceived IASIU's 2007 Outstanding Service Award. Detective HenryThomas Clark of the Florida Division of Insurance Fraud receivedthe 2007 Public Service Award, and Diann Williford, a fieldinformation analyst with NICB, was named IASIU's 2007 Analyst ofthe Year.

IASIU said Mr. Welch had investigated a South Floridaneurologist who after a 13-month investigation and civil actionreached a confidential settlement and in addition signed a consentdecree in which he waived more than $1.3 million in submitted andpending bills for services previously billed to State Farminsureds.

The doctor also withdrew all pending bills for State Farminsureds or anyone with a right of recovery against State Farm ineither first- or third-party liability claims which totaled inexcess of $2 million, IASIU said.

Mr. Welch's investigative materials, data and records he amassedwere submitted to the Florida Department of Health and the FloridaDepartment of Financial Services, where action is pending.

IASIU said the investigator, in the course of his work, hadsecured an independent team of six neurosurgeons to conduct peerreviews of the diagnostic testing and surgical procedures performedby the doctor in question.