APA Fraud Fighter Quarterly | Fall 2023

2023-11-03T15:59:43+00:00
APA Fall Newsletter

2023 APA Membership Summit Coming to Dallas

Jay Feinman, Dominic Dugo, Matthew Smith and Whistleblowers among distinguished speakers & panelists.

The APA team is excited to invite all of our Fraud Fighting family to Dallas, Texas for the 2023 Membership Summit! The schedule for this event is packed tight and will provide you with the knowledge and connections to protect yourself and your clients from insurer fraud, including a media panel that will be broadcast live to educate the public.

This yeear, we are delighted to welcome the author of Delay, Deny, Defend, Professor Jay Feinman as a speaker, as well as Ana-Maria K.
Tenekedjieva an economist for the Federal Reserve Board Of Directors, and Matthew Smith, the Executive Director of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, APA National Prosecution Coordinator, Dominic Dugo as well as the entire APA Consumer Protection Unit.

You’ll have a chance to meet the APA Board Of Directors and hear APA Executive Director Doug Quinn, present along with appearances by the APA Operations Team, including Morgan Walker, Heather Shapter, Megan O’Shea, and Larry Burtis. There will be surprise VIP’s attending as well. Look for announcements in the coming weeks.

This groundbreaking event is focused on teaching industry professionals how to best detect and defend policyholders from criminal fraud Perpetrated by insurers, as well as the TPA’s and Engineering firms they hire. As a “Membership Gathering”, the Summit is different thantraditional conferences in that there will be lots of back-and-forth with audience participation to determine how best to shape and execute the APA mission. We have also planned events that will give you a chance to meet & network with fellow APA members who are among the top Ieaders and innovators in their fields of expertise.

The conference is open only to APA Members and it is free of charge with our membership. Please check your email for the official invitation to the APA Membership Summit or reach out to megan@apassociation.org for more information. Sponsorship opportunities are still available! Contact Morgan Walker at morgan@apassociation.org to learn how you can get involved in this year’s event!

The Summit is held in Downtown Dallas with many exciting attractions, fine dining, and entertainment venues within walking distance . Rooms in the host hotel are limited, so don’t wait to book your hotel room at the Crown Plaza Dallas Downtown.

IN MEMORIAM

BOB GREEN

The APA family is heartbroken to share the passing of Bob Green. Mr. Green was a proud advocate for policyholders throughout his long, accomplished career. We have been proud to have him on our Advisory Board since the early years of the APA. As a founding Board Advisor, he guided other industry professionals who will undoubtedly follow in his foot steps.

Bob Green was a proud husband and father who was born and raised in Texas, where he founded the Law Firm of Green, Klein, Wood & Jones.

Bob’s partners will no doubt honor his legacy by continuing his work at the firm and with their commitment to advancing the APA Mission of defending the American Consumer from Insurer Fraud.

Bob will forever be missed by the APA family.

PROSECUTORS CORNER

An update from Dominic Dugo, the head of the APA SIU

Our APA Consumer Protection Unit (CPU) continues expanding their influence and impact against insurer fraud. For the very first time since the establishment of the APA, we have 3 criminal cases being investigated by law enforcement in Florida and Louisiana as a result of a CPU referral. Our highly skilled and experienced retired law enforcement CPU team is proving around the country that APA fraud referrals are credible and merit a review by law enforcement. Slowly but surely, APA is having a major impact on how insurer fraud is viewed by Prosecutors and Departments of insurance.

CPU staff look forward to meeting members in Dallas in November during the 2024 Annual APA Conference. Feel free to approach our team members and discuss any fraud issues you are experiencing at work. See you all in Dallas!

REMINDERS

FOR ALL APA MEMBERS

  • Please RSVP to the 2023 APA Membership Summit. A
    Paperless Post invitation was sent to you via email.
    Contact Megan@apassociation.org for assistance.
  • Please make sure that you are in the APA Members-only Facebook Group! It is a safe place to talk about industry related
    topics with like-minded professionals. We encourage you to start any conversation! This is a secret group, so you must contact Megan for access.
  • Make sure the APA has your updated information on file! If
    you’ve changed your email, mailing address, or phone
    number, please contact megan@apassociation.org at your
    earliest convenience. This is CRUCIAL. We are not able to
    keep you up to date on the APA mission if we can not
    contact you.
  • If you have yet to become an APA Member, get in touch with Megan to learn more about the benefits and the
    change you can make within the insurance industry.

FRAUD FIGHTING TIP OF THE SEASON

Examine Reports Carefully

“Learn more at apassociation.org/resources.

Look for inconsistencies, ‘Cut & Paste’ Reports (watch for wrong name, address, etc. that suggests they are using someone else’s report.)

Confirm that the “Conclusions” at the end report match observations in the previous section of the report. Double-check if the description of the original construction / materials are accurate. Is your insurance company claiming damage caused by a previous weather event without proof? Confirm that ALL recommended repairs meet local building codes. Learn more at APassociation.org/resources.

APA IN THE NEWS

2023 has so far proven to be a year of great success for the APA’s “Balance the narrative” program (BTN). Our message has been featured in the Washington Post, the Miami Herald, Insurance Journal, as well as television news on FOX, ABC, NBC & “Spotlight on America

We were featured on the front page of the Washington Post story, Apple News, & “Nightly News with Lester Holt”; one of the top five most watched daily TV programs in America. These are just the highlights as there has been much more local news coverage. Look for more as we are currently in talks regarding stories with several other outlets. Keep an eye on our news page too where we feature some of these media appearances.

How do you wear your apa gear?

APA Swag is available now! Put in an order to be mailed OR delivered to you at the 2023 APA Membership Summit. Order now by emailing Megan@APassociation.org

We are currently working on our new online store so keep an eye out for when we launch our exclusive APA Members Swag Store.

The APA team is excited to invite all of our Fraud Fighting family to Dallas, Texas for the 2023 Membership Summit! The schedule for this event is packed tight and will provide you with the knowledge and connections to protect yourself and your clients from insurer fraud, including a media panel that will be broadcast live to educate the public.

This yeear, we are delighted to welcome the author of Delay, Deny, Defend, Professor Jay Feinman as a speaker, as well as Ana-Maria K.
Tenekedjieva an economist for the Federal Reserve Board Of Directors, and Matthew Smith, the Executive Director of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, APA National Prosecution Coordinator, Dominic Dugo as well as the entire APA Consumer Protection Unit.

You’ll have a chance to meet the APA Board Of Directors and hear APA Executive Director Doug Quinn, present along with appearances by the APA Operations Team, including Morgan Walker, Heather Shapter, Megan O’Shea, and Larry Burtis. There will be surprise VIP’s attending as well. Look for announcements in the coming weeks.

This groundbreaking event is focused on teaching industry professionals how to best detect and defend policyholders from criminal fraud Perpetrated by insurers, as well as the TPA’s and Engineering firms they hire. As a “Membership Gathering”, the Summit is different thantraditional conferences in that there will be lots of back-and-forth with audience participation to determine how best to shape and execute the APA mission. We have also planned events that will give you a chance to meet & network with fellow APA members who are among the top Ieaders and innovators in their fields of expertise.

The conference is open only to APA Members and it is free of charge with our membership. Please check your email for the official invitation to the APA Membership Summit or reach out to megan@apassociation.org for more information. Sponsorship opportunities are still available! Contact Morgan Walker at morgan@apassociation.org to learn how you can get involved in this year’s event!

The Summit is held in Downtown Dallas with many exciting attractions, fine dining, and entertainment venues within walking distance . Rooms in the host hotel are limited, so don’t wait to book your hotel room at the Crown Plaza Dallas Downtown.

GPS Conference

Oct 4-6

FAPIA LIVE

October 21-23

APA Membership Summit

November 1-3

roofcon

November 7-9

PPANJ

November 15

ADVOCATES UNITED

November 15-16

NAAG

December 4-6

napia

December 4-6

src

January 9-11

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #APAOnTheMove when you see us out and about!

A WORD FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Doug Quinn

Greetings Fraud Fighters!

We are 3/4 of the way through 2023 and it has already been an exciting year in the APA world. If you were on this quarter’s “Membership Update” conference call you know we discussed several criminal referrals submitted by the APA to fraud departments in
multiple states.

2023 has seen the launch of the ”APA Whistleblower Program” and development of methods to encourage insurance industry insiders to come forward with evidence of potential crimes they may have witnessed.

Furthermore, the APA Media Strategy has paid off tremendously by producing high profile media coverage of the APA’s mission. This exposure has, in turn, lead to more leads on potential criminal, insurer fraud cases coming in to our CPU.

We will discuss these developments and more at the upcoming APA Membership Summit in Dallas on November 1-3. If you haven’t attended the APA Summit before, you are in for a unique event. The core of APA’s supporters will be onsite, working side by side to bring our Mission to the next level.

The secret to the APA’s innovative method is collaborative teamwork by some very brilliant and committed professionals who are boots on the ground in our efforts to defend the American Consumer from Insurer Fraud. We look forward to seeing you in Dallas!

DID YOU KNOW?

YOU CAN VERIFY AN ENGINEERS LICENSE AND CHECK THEIR DISCIPLINARY HISTORY?

The APA has made it easier than ever for the public to verify that they are working with a licensed engineer. If you spot red flags, you are also able to view their disciplinary history. The APA team has created a state-by-state list of links that can be found at: apassociation.org/apa-engineer-research-complaint-portal

Scroll to your state, click the link and follow the directions that your state has in place. Every state is different, but they don’t always make it user-friendly.

On the same page, you will also find that you can file a complaint to each state’s Engineering Board. Each state has their own way of accepting them. Some you can file on their website, e-mail, some of them even require you to send a complaint through the USPS.

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APA Fraud Fighter Quarterly | Summer 2023

2023-06-29T05:27:03+00:00
APA Quarterly Summer 2023

Read All About It: APA Efforts Become National News

“Sunlight is the best disinfectant” as the old saying goes & the APA completely agrees.

The American Policyholder Association uses a four-step strategy to protect consumers from Insurer Fraud. A key part of that strategy is publicizing tactics used to illegally underpay or deny legitimate claims.

APA has received multiple complaints from Florida Policyholders in the wake of Hurricane Ian. In addition, multiple insurance industry insiders with evidence of potential fraud have reached out to the APA Whistleblower program.

The American Policyholder Association has been working closely with the State of Florida fraud investigators & also with multiple media outlets to address these issues. These media outlets include NBC, CBS, ABC, The Insurance Journal, Tampa Bay Times, and the world-renowned Washington Post. While many of these stories have been published and aired, the story is ongoing and there are several national media outlets working closely with the APA on News stories that will run in the coming months.

Keep an eye on the APA’s social media outlets for upcoming stories as they run.

Watch Lester Holt interviewing APA Executive Director Doug Quinn, you can also read the Washington Post investigation featuring The APA.

BOARD ADVISOR SPOTLIGHT

ERIC & MIKA HUNTER

Erik Mika Hunter

Meet Eric and Mika Hunter! The
Hunters have shown endless support
for the APA’s mission. In the
industry, they are known as a power
couple whom balance each other out
perfectly and for running their
successful business, Precision
Construction and Roofing.

They are passionate about their work, and view the staff at Precision as family. In fact, they treat their top earners to vacations to the most pristine destinations in the world. This lovely couple is based out of Texas, where they raise their two beautiful daughters, Kimber and Presley.

Mika is also one of the masterminds behind Grace & Grind; an event designed for women in the restoration industry. When it’s time for the Hunter’s to take a break, they enjoy traveling and tending to their pet giraffes. Our mission is impossible without Board Advisors like the Hunters.

Thank you for your support!

PROSECUTORS CORNER

An update from Dominic Dugo, the head of the APA SIU

Your APA team of retired anti-fraud experts with over 100 years of law enforcement experience are having an impact in protecting consumers from insurer fraud.

Our Consumer Protection Unit (CPU) is actively assisting law
enforcement in Louisiana and Florida on open criminal investigations which can potentially produce monumental changes in how homeowners are treated by insurance companies after they suffer property damage to their homes.

CPU carefully and objectively reviews allegations and facts to present law enforcement with cases that deserve criminal review by government authorities. While this criminal case review is a time-consuming and laborious process, once accomplished, APA will have a tremendous impact nationwide in protecting consumer rights from fraud and abuse. CPU believes that, primarily due to APA, the consumer will see a bright future in making sure homeowner losses are fairly and legally compensated by insurance companies per the policies purchased.

Introducing the APA Whistle Blower Program

The APA believes strongly in the critical role
Insurance plays as a risk management tool that
helps American families recover from a loss
that would otherwise be catastrophic.

We believe that most insurance industry employees are sincere, hard-working professionals who want to help policyholders in the time of need. We also know there are some fraudsters on all sides of the claims process & sometimes honest people are pressured to do things they believed to be unethical or even illegal in order to reduce or deny legitimate claims to Policyholders.

We have created a safe place for those who wish to report potential violations of the law that they’ve witnessed. As an APA member, you can help get the word out to these professionals by adding this whistleblower graphic to your email signature, website, or wherever you feel it will appropriately get the word out.

This graphic was emailed to all members but you can email Megan@apassociation.org for a copy. With the help and support of our members, together we can end insurer fraud.

FRAUD FIGHTING TIP OF THE SEASON

To get your claim paid fairly, you must do your part.

As part of your insurance contract, you have the “Duty To Cooperate” with the insurer’s efforts to investigate and adjust your claim.

Be pleasant and cooperative. Do not interfere with the inspection in any way. Some inspectors will have questions for you. Because of your duty to cooperate, it is best that you answer those questions to the best of your ability.

If you have a representative (attorney, PA, etc.), have them inform the inspector that you are happy to answer questions. The inspector will submit the questions they have to your representative, and it’s your job to answer them thoroughly and in a timely manner.

Where have you seen the APA?

PATH TO INDEMNITY

May 24-26

The Experience

September 6-8

GPS Conference

Oct 4-6

FAPIA LIVE

October 21-23

APA Membership Summit

November 1-3

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #APAOnTheMove when you see us out and about!

A WORD FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Doug Quinn

Greetings Fraud Fighters!

The APA team has had an incredibly busy quarter with many opportunities to fulfill our mission. Our phone is ringing off the hook for press interviews, and we are working behind
the scenes, developing and distributing critical research on carrier side abuse of policyholders.

In addition, we have submitted criminal, referrals in Louisiana, Florida,and Alabama. The APA team is also investigating preliminary complaints in several other states.

If you were on April’s quarterly membership update conference call, you were privy to some pretty exciting information that we haven’t released to the public just yet. Stay tuned for more big news!

DID YOU KNOW?

YOU SHOULD BE VIDEO TAPING AND TIMING YOUR INSURANCE INSPECTOR WHILE ON YOUR PROPERTY

Remember that vendors such as adjustors and engineers sent by your insurer are loyal to the insurance company’s interests, because they are the people who write their checks. Videotaping and timing inspections is crucial.

Make sure you see them inspect- or don’t inspect- all damaged areas of property carefully. Make sure you have on record how long they were on the roof, in the crawl space or other damaged areas. It’s best to inform adjusters or engineers in advance that you will be videotaping. Someone that is honest and wants to see the policyholder get a fair claim won’t have a problem with this. This should also be kept on record. Be polite, but firm. Do not get in their way. A professional with nothing to hide will be perfectly fine with this.

ATTENTION

  • Please make sure that you are in the APA Members-only Facebook Group! It is a safe place to talk about industry-related topics with like-minded professionals. We encourage you to start any conversation! This is a secret group, so you must contact Megan@APassociation.org for access.
  • Make sure the APA has your updated information on file! If you’ve changed your email, mailing address, or phone number, please contact Megan@APassociation.org at your earliest convenience.
  • If you have yet to become an APA Member, email Megan@APassociation.org to learn more about the benefits and the change you can make within the insurance industry.
  • As a professional, make sure that your clients how to protect themselves from insurer fraud. Sign them up as an Associate Member of the APA. We have the tools they need to advocate for themselves available for free at APassociation.org.

HAVE YOU SAVED THE DATE?

2023 APA MEMBERSHIP SUMMIT
HAPPENING NOVEMBER 1-3RD IN DALLAS, TX!

The APA Membership Summit is a three-day event with opportunities to learn from our Consumer Protection Unit, Executive Director Doug Quinn,Elected Officials, and APA Board Advisors.

You will also spend time networking with like-minded individuals who believe in and support our mission. Your tickets to this event are included with your membership dues. We are so excited to announce that Professor & Author of Delay,Deny, Defend, Jay Feinman will be speaking at this year’s event! More details will be announced soon, but sponsorship opportunities are available now! Please email morgan@apassociation.org for more information.

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APA Fraud Fighter Quarterly | Winter 2021

2022-12-08T19:54:09+00:00

APA Executive Director Testifies To Louisiana Lawmakers

APA Executive Director Doug Quinn attended and testified to Louisiana’s Joint Committee on Insurance. Quinn educated state legislators on insurer abuses in the wake of Hurricane Ida.

We believe that insurance is a very important financial tool for the average American to handle a loss that would be catastrophic for them. We just want to see it work the way it was meant to work.”, Quinn stated. The APA’s mission is to defend consumers from insurer fraud, report licensee ethics violations to engineering boards & state insurance departments, as well as work with elected officials to protect policyholders from carrier-side abuses. You can view highlights from Doug’s testimony on the APA’s YouTube channel.

Doug Quinn APA

BOARD ADVISOR SPOTLIGHT

STEVE PATRICK

Steve Patrick has been a vocal supporter of the APA mission since the beginning.

Patrick is known in the industry as the Co-founder and CEO of LP Loss Consulting. He was the winner of the 2021 “APA Consumer Advocate Award”. He is currently based out of Frisco, Texas.

Don’t miss Steve speak at IRE on the APA’s behalf on Tues. 2/1/22 at 7:45am. Thank you for all of your hardwork and dedication to the APA!

PROSECUTORS CORNER

An update from Dominic Dugo, the head of the APA SIU

The APA Special Investigative Fraud Unit wishes everyone a Happy and Healthy 2022!

2021 has produced unprecedented rapid growth by APA to put into action the “best of class” anti-fraud team in the industry. Collectively, your SIU Team has approximately 150 years of law enforcement experience at work to protect homeowners from being victims of insurance fraud.

Our SIU is composed of 1 Former District Attorney Prosecutor; 4 Former Law Enforcement Officers coming from the California Highway Patrol, District Attorney’s Office, and Department of Insurance; and 2 Law Clerks from Rutgers Law School. Our law enforcement team all worked extensively in the insurance fraud arena. With the SIU team in place and fully supported by APA, we look forward to outstanding anti-fraud results in 2022.

Chief Investigator Appointed to APA SIU

Meet Nancy Dodd

Nancy Dodd M.S. is a retired supervising fraud investigator for the San Diego District Attorney‘s office & a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and is now serving the community as the APA Chief Investigator.

A former police sergeant, detective, and insurance fraud criminal investigator for the California highway patrol, Nancy is an adjunct professor at Southwestern College where she teaches criminology to police recruits.

Nancy holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Management from Union Institute & University as well as a Masters of Science in Law Enforcement & Public Safety Management from the University of San Diego.

Nancy rounds out a fraud investigation team at the APA SIU that is already staffed with seasoned investigators and fraud fighters. Their critical mission of investigating carrier-side criminal fraud is sure to be enhanced by the addition of Nancy Dodd to the team.

Learn more about the APA Staff and SIU by clicking the button below.

KEEP AN EYE OUT

The AEREP GUIDE IS AVAILABLE NOW

Thanks to APA Board Advisor Don Wood, the anticipated AEREP Guide is available now.

This tool can be used to guide industry professionals and policyholders through the process of evaluating engineer reports.

AEREP facilitates analysis of carrier-hired engineer reports to detect potential ethics violations and fraud. The user is then guided to report these infractions to licensing boards or criminal investigators. The AEREP Guide is available for all APA members to download for free along with other APA consumer guides on our website under the “Resources” tab.

Where have you seen the APA?

NAAG Symposium

April 25th-27th

Policyholders Preservation
Association of Americans

May 18th-20th

APA Summit 2022

TBD
DETAILS COMING SOON

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #APAOnTheMove when you see us out and about!

A WORD FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Doug Quinn

As we move into 2022, I am very excited about our progress
in the year we are closing out. The APA, although still a new
organization, is building a strong reputation as a leading
consumer protection organization.

We have been invited to testify on insurer fraud by multiple state legislatures & have been interviewed by some of America’s leading news outlets including the New York Times and Fortune magazine.

The APA has hosted multiple Attorneys General at events & met with many more to discuss our mission. Most importantly, we have built and expanded the nation’s first-ever Special Investigations Unit that exclusively represents you, the consumer. The APA’s cutting-edge SIU has already referred several cases to prosecutors & we are eagerly following their progress.

There’s been many more big accomplishments that space does not allow us to go into here, but if you’ve been attending our quarterly member conference calls and following us on social media you have seen just how big of a watershed year this has been.
I would like to wish the entire APA family a wonderful 2022 & thank you all for standing up to defend the American Consumer.

FRAUD FIGHTING TIP OF THE SEASON

KEEP RECORDS OF EVERYTHING

Create and maintain a ‘Claim Diary’. Basic protocol in fighting bureaucracy is that every time you speak to someone, have a notepad and pen handy.

Log the date, time, name of the person you spoke to and a summary of the conversation. Be sure to report all suspected incidents of insurer fraud to the APA Special Investigation Unit on the tools section of the APA website.

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