Since its establishment five months ago, the new in-house fraud unit at the Division of Workers’ Compensation has opened more than 40 investigations and hired additional fraud investigators to extend its reach.

“It’s a huge benefit to have a fraud unit that is 100 percent dedicated to workers’ compensation,” said Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation Ryan Brannan. “In-house investigators are more exposed to workers’ compensation issues, so they are aware of the latest schemes.”

Teresa Carney, DWC’s Director of System Monitoring and Oversight, said that in an effort to coordinate anti-fraud efforts, the unit reaches out to insurance carriers, district attorneys, fraud prevention groups, and DWC employees.

“We can’t do it alone,” she said. “Workers’ compensation fraud impacts all Texans, and we want to work with people who want to help stop workers’ compensation fraud. Many complaints come from injured employees or insurance carriers, but we can also be proactive by reviewing the claim or medical billing data already on hand or tap people in our Hearings Division or maybe a field office, who help in the workers’ compensation system every day.”