There is a saying among law enforcement officials that a law is only as good as those who enforce it. That saying is being reinforced by the efforts of the Division of Insurance Bureau of Workers' Compensation Fraud (BWCF)and the Division of Workers' Compensation Bureau of Compliance (BOC) as they continue to take an aggressive approach to ensure that employers and workers are toeing the line when it comes to complying with the law. Whether it is making sure employers are not scheming to pay lower premiums than they should, or investigating whether workers are trying to game the system by misrepresenting their injuries, the two bureaus are working hand-in-hand to send a strong signal that fraud will not be tolerated.

“Through our efforts, more and more employers are becoming aware of the workers' compensation law and the requirements to be in compliance,” said Andrew Sabolic, chief of the Bureau of Compliance. “And they are starting to understand the consequences of not following those laws.”

The BWCF is charged with enforcing the criminal provisions of the law while the BOC oversees the administrative requirements of the law. The agencies both refer cases to the Department of Business and Regulation if an employer is found to not have the necessary professional license. Just how effective have the state's workers' compensation fraud efforts been? A quick look at the numbers tells the story.