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

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

In a business meeting held the following day, IASIU President Dan Fitzgerald emphasized that the full participation of the membership was needed in the voting process. Glenn Wolf, IASIU board member, led a presentation for conference attendees that outlined the structure of the new group if it were accepted by all three organizations. According to Wolf, a merged association would:

Renew the view on fighting fraud.

Addresses issues/concerns raised by the IASIU membership.

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

Allow more frequent and impactful national and regional conferences.

Financial and administrative support for chapters.

Better leverage the SIU membership for information sharing and legislative efforts.

Allow cutting-edge research into insurance fraud issues.

Attract more carriers and broader support for the fight against fraud.

Give front-line investigators a strong say and influence.

The presentation was followed by intense debate amongst attendees, most of whom seemed to be opposed to such a merger. However, until a final proposal is presented, an official vote cannot be taken by the organization. A “show-stopper” meeting to determine issues or items that must be included for the merger to even be considered took place earlier this week.

Special Reports /

Merger Issues Confront Fraud Association

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