Welch Named Investigator Of The Year

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

Mr. Welch was among four persons honored at the group's 22nd Annual Seminar & Expo on Insurance Fraud being held in Las Vegas.

National Insurance Crime Bureau's Special Agent Fred Burkhardt received IASIU's 2007 Outstanding Service Award. Detective Henry Thomas Clark of the Florida Division of Insurance Fraud received the 2007 Public Service Award, and Diann Williford, a field information analyst with NICB, was named IASIU's 2007 Analyst of the Year.

IASIU said Mr. Welch had investigated a South Florida neurologist who after a 13-month investigation and civil action reached a confidential settlement and in addition signed a consent decree in which he waived more than $1.3 million in submitted and pending bills for services previously billed to State Farm insureds.

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

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

IASIU said the investigator, in the course of his work, had secured an independent team of six neurosurgeons to conduct peer reviews of the diagnostic testing and surgical procedures performed by the doctor in question.