Calif. Commissioner Pegs $32M to Fight Workers’ Comp Insurance Fraud

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has announced nearly $32 million in grants have been awarded to district attorneys across the Golden State to assist them with the investigation and prosecution of workers’ compensation insurance fraud.

The grant funding is the result of assessments on California employers that are determined annually by the Fraud Assessment Commission. Counties submit applications to the Department of Insurance, which convenes the Workers’ Compensation Grant Review Panel, which then reviews and makes grant funding recommendations based on multiple criteria including previous year performance. The panel then forwards a recommendation to the Insurance Commissioner, who either accepts or amends the panel’s recommendation. Once completed, the Commissioner’s recommendation is submitted to the Fraud Assessment Commission for their advice and consent.

The grants are subject to approval in the final state budget.

Grants were awarded to:

• Alameda $1.4 million;
• Amador $434,569;
• Butte $200,000;
• Contra Costa $575,000;
• El Dorado $330,000;
• Fresno $1.2 million;
• Humboldt $175,000;
• Imperial $51,200;
• Kern $760,000;
• Kings $275,297;
• Los Angeles $5.7 million;
• Marin $238,000;
• Merced $140,000;
• Monterey $520,000;
• Napa $119,000;
• Orange $3.5 million;
• Plumas $6,000;
• Riverside $1.46 million;
• Sacramento $900,000;
• San Bernardino $2.17 million;
• San Diego $4.86 million;
• San Francisco $739,200;
• San Joaquin $608,808;
• San Luis Obispo $65,000;
• San Mateo $650,000;
• Santa Barbara $290,000;
• Santa Clara $2.3 million;
• Santa Cruz $120,000;
• Shasta $175,000;
• Siskiyou $37,428;
• Solano $175,000;
• Sonoma $98,735;
• Tehama $88,950;
• Tulare $362,221;
• Ventura $735,913; and
• Yolo $245,960.