California Considers Bill to Expand Insurance Fraud Reporting Law

The California legislature is considering amending the state’s insurance code to expand the state’s reporting law in insurance fraud.

According to the text of AB 802, existing law requires “an insurer, or agent authorized by that insurer to act on behalf of the insurer, upon written request, to release to a requesting officer of an authorized governmental agency, as defined, any or all relevant information deemed important to the authorized governmental agency that the insurer may possess relating to any specific insurance fraud. This bill would also require the insurer, or agent authorized by that insurer to act on behalf of the insurer, to release to the authorized governmental agency any or all relevant information deemed important to the authorized governmental agency that the insurer may possess relating to any other unlawful activity recovered uncovered in the course of an insurance fraud investigation.”

Relevant information may include, but is not limited to:

• Insurance policy information relevant to the insurance fraud under investigation, including, but not limited to, any application for a policy.
• Policy premium payment records that are available.
• History of previous claims made by the insured.
• Information relating to the investigation of the insurance fraud, including statements of any person, proof of loss, and notice of loss.
• Complete copies of both sides of payment drafts.
• Information about an illegal activity not related to insurance fraud that is uncovered when investigating an allegation of insurance fraud.

The bill is headed for third reading in the Assembly.

Topics California Carriers Fraud