Ranney Pageler (pictured) is vice president of the Fraud Investigations Department at EMPLOYERS, which offers workers' compensation insurance and services through Employers Insurance Company of Nevada, Employers Compensation Insurance Co., Employers Preferred Insurance Co. and Employers Assurance Co. For more information, please contact Ranney at [email protected] or visit www.employers.com.

Workers' compensation insurance premium fraud is a serious problem. Not only is it illegal, it adversely affects the bottom lines of producers and carriers, and leads to higher insurance premiums for honest businesses. It causes a loss in commission for agents, creates an unfair business advantage for the perpetrator (affording a “bidding/sales advantage” due to their reduced operating costs) and has a negative impact on a state's rate-making system.

Equipped with the right information, independent insurance agents – who are a key conduit between policyholders and insurance carriers – can play a valuable role in identifying and preventing workers' compensation insurance premium fraud.