Ohio BWC Unveils Fiscal Year 2004 Fraud Report

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s (BWC’s) special investigations department concluded fiscal year 2004 by exceeding its goals for both identified savings and return on expenditures.

A record 3,689 closed investigations identified a record $126 million in savings. These savings included a record $22 million pertaining to providers and $5.5 million in employer premiums and penalties. The department generated a record $11.86 in savings for every budgetary dollar spent, exceeding last year’s return on expenditures by 29.3 percent. These results contributed to the agency’s goals of reducing costs and improving customer service.

During the last 12 months, the department reportedly focused on improving its investigation and prosecution of medical provider and employer premium fraud.