He said that IASIU now has a Scandinavian chapter and has also been meeting with a group from Brazil. “We would like to see all our methods of doing business compatible across international borders,” according to Mr. Short.

He said the organization, on May 4-6 of next year, will hold an anti-fraud training session for European members in Copenhagen.

As part of its efforts to focus on international operations, he said the group needs to make some changes in membership requirements because investigative departments in other countries often are structured differently within their organizations.

Mr. Short also announced that IASIU has taken a position in opposition to California Senate Bill 658, which he said would create problems for insurance investigators by, among other things, making it more difficult to conduct examinations-under-oath.

SB 658, sponsored by Sen. Martha Escutia, D-Whittier, would create new requirements, including:

A requirement that the insurer pay reasonable costs for an attorney of the policyholder if the insurer has an attorney at the examination-under-oath.

A limitation on questions to those that are “relevant and reasonably necessary” to prove the claim.

The right to reasonable notice of the time and place of the examination.

The right to assert an objection to any question if that same objection may be made in a deposition under state or federal law.

The right to be represented by counsel.

Reproduced from National Underwriter Property & Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition, September 21, 2001. Copyright 2001 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.

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