Goodwin Message Reaches TV Audiences Statewide During Six-Week Run

This week incumbent North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin's third TV ad entered the rotation as the two-week countdown to Election Day began. In total, Goodwin's ads will have run over a six week period.

His first ad is a direct conversation by the candidate, looking straight into the camera to discuss the highlights of his term in office.

Goodwin's second ad features Buncombe County's Van Duncan, the popular Sheriff there. The sheriff, speaking on his behalf and for other law enforcement officers, heralds the state insurance commissioner's highly successful fraud-fighting efforts.

The third ad again includes Goodwin. This time the viewer is peeking in on a kitchen conversation between the state official and a coastal/eastern North Carolina resident. Insurance Commissioner Goodwin pledges to always fight for eastern North Carolina, just as valiantly and intensely as he did immediately after Hurricane Irene struck in 2011.

Meanwhile, the Council of State member has had ongoing short spots on NCSPIN, on social media, and on statewide radio.

To date, it appears that Goodwin's Republican challenger, Mike Causey, has gone on radio and purchased a small buy on NCSPIN but no broadcast or cable TV advertising that could be found.

Regardless of whomever the winner is on Election Night, it is fair to say that the candidates will have spent the largest sum of money ever spent on TV in a North Carolina insurance commissioner race. And it is also very fair - and accurate - to say that Wayne Goodwin is the only candidate for state Insurance Commissioner with a proven record of fighting for consumers.

Insurance Commissioner Goodwin Announces Historic Insurance Fraud Arrests: 600 Arrested So Far on Goodwin's Watch!

North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin announced that his team busted the largest single embezzlement and insurance fraud scheme in the history of the Department of Insurance.

In what appears to be at least $5.3 million, Goodwin's sworn law enforcement officers and criminal investigators worked and built the case so that the four arrests could be made and the most solid case could be presented to the grand jury.

"This is an instance where the insurance company reported something seemed to be amiss, and my team went in and rooted out what we believe is the largest multi-million-dollar embezzlement in state history. My thanks goes out to the company and to the local prosecutor for working as a terrific team," said goodwin.

On his watch Goodwin's administration has made more than 600 arrests and recovered more than $49 million for victims of insurance fraud.

Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin Aggressively Fights Fraud and Scam Artists

The only candidate for NC Insurance Commissioner Truly Experienced in Insurance Law Enforcement.

A paramount component of North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin's goals is to find, investigate, arrest, and seek the conviction of persons committing insurance fraud and other scams in his jurisdiction.

Described as "the Capeless Crusader" here and elsewhere, Goodwin and his team continue their never-ending battle against persons who embezzle, steal, and defraud.

In fact, you most often see news of individual arrests practically every week on the Department of Insurance website. For example, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Over the last 3-1/2 years, under his leadership and that of the dedicated professionals of his Department, Goodwin's Criminal Investigations Division has arrested more than 600 persons that has thus far led to at least 330 convictions. During that same time period, he and his team have recovered more than $49 Million for victims of insurance fraud.

"As our Insurance Commissioner and the elected head of a law enforcement agency, I take protecting consumers and fighting insurance crime very seriously,” said Wayne Goodwin. “It’s not about partisanship, but right versus wrong, justice versus the lawbreaker, and competence versus inexperience, as well as protecting State-based regulation for the benefit of consumers and small businesses each and every day.”

It is interesting to note that Insurance Commissioner Goodwin has experience within a municipal Department of Public Safety in 1986, as retired SBI Director Robert Morgan's legal intern in 1989, as a sworn Special Deputy Sheriff in the 1990s, as a member of the General Assembly's Justice and Public Safety Subcommittee for at least six years, and as Assistant State Fire Marshal and Assistant Insurance Commissioner between 2005 and 2008.

Also of interest is that Insurance Commissioner Goodwin has already been described by an "Under the Dome" blogger for the Raleigh News & Observer in October 2009 as "apparently an action hero, by elected-official standards." And as every good action hero knows, it is a 24-7 job.

So, as the November elections approach, voters have a real choice: Someone like Wayne Goodwin who is tested, experienced, and has spent years fighting insurance fraud and other shenanigans, or, on the other hand, someone else who is untested, unready, and never been involved with insurance law enforcement.

If it is about who will best protect the public, the clear and obvious choice for Insurance Commissioner this year is Wayne Goodwin.

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Follow Insurance Commissioner Goodwin on Twitter @WayneGoodwinNC or on Facebook here at this link.

Raleigh Business Owner Charged With Illegally Dropping Health Insurance for Employees

North Carolina's Insurance Commissioner, Wayne Goodwin, and the Department of Insurance are going after yet another person charged with illegally dropping health insurance for employees of a small business. See the accompanying WRAL-TV video about it or check out the official press release from the Department here.

According to WRAL-TV:

Tonja Jordan Austin, 38, of 109 Hilary Place in Cary, was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts each of failing to pay group health insurance premiums and failing to properly notify people covered by the policy that the premiums were no longer being paid.

Austin was the co-owner of Integrated Family Solutions, a community-based mental health agency that recently closed its offices in Raleigh and Durham. The state Department of Insurance said Friday that she didn't pay premiums to United Healthcare, and the nonprofit's health policies were terminated on Dec. 1 and April 1.

State law requires that employers give workers 45 days written notice if they are canceling or terminating health coverage.

"In instances like this, most people will not know until it's too late," Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin said.

One Integrated Family Solutions [employee] complained to the DOI, prompting the state investigation, after amassing more than $13,000 in medical bills that weren't covered by insurance, Goodwin said.

"It causes tremendous heartbreak and havoc for family finances," he said.

Goodwin said such cases occur more often in a soft economy because companies try to cut costs by dropping insurance coverage. So far this year, the DOI has investigated 41 cases, resulting in eight arrests and two convictions.

"These are serious allegations and certainly serious criminal acts that affect anywhere from a few employees to thousands of employees," he said.

People who have health insurance through their employer should double-check that the premiums are up to date before before having a major procedure, he said.

The Tar Heel state Insurance Commissioner actively fights insurance fraud of all kinds, and indicates that such crime has dramatically increased over the last year or so, directly resulting from the worst economy in our lifetimes.

Part 2: Capeless Crusader Wayne Goodwin Fights Insurance Fraud

The exploits of North Carolina’s Insurance Commissioner as crime fighter have been well-documented on this site and in other places, including countless news accounts and the official website of the Department of Insurance.

As a public service to those who join Wayne Goodwin in the never-ending battle for Truth, Justice and the American Way, here is a sample of insurance fraud cases closed in recent months by his team.

They include:

An agent who submitted false life insurance applications in Lenoir County

Two sisters, both of whom are insurance agents, who embezzled premiums in Durham

A Cary subcontractor who submitted a fraudulent certificate of insurance to a homebuilder

A Stanly County woman who exploited her grandmother for insurance money in Albemarle

A Greensboro insurance agent who also embezzled monies

A Burlington jewelry thief whose name - Minx VonParis DeMaxzmohr - is worthy of a James Bond villain

A car shop owner and customer in Martin County jointly conspiring to swindle insurance monies

"As our Insurance Commissioner and the elected head of a law enforcement agency, I take protecting consumers and fighting insurance crime very seriously,” said Wayne Goodwin. “It’s not about partisanship, but right versus wrong, justice versus the lawbreaker, and competence versus inexperience, as well as protecting State-based regulation for the benefit of consumers and small businesses each and every day.”

North Carolina’s Commissioner of Insurance and the Department of Insurance employ 20 sworn law enforcement officers dedicated to investigating claims of insurance fraud. So far in 2010, these criminal investigators have seen more than 268 cases successfully closed with more than $18.5 million in restitution and recoveries, 54 criminal convictions and 89 arrests.

An estimated 10 cents of every dollar paid in premiums goes toward the payment of fraudulent claims. To report suspected fraud, contact the Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840. Callers may remain anonymous. Information is also available at www.ncdoi.com.

Accordingly, the battle for justice and public security is never-ending. To do his part, it may be comforting to note that Insurance Commissioner Goodwin has already been described by an "Under the Dome" blogger for the Raleigh News & Observer in October 2009 as

"apparently an action hero, by elected-official standards."

And as every good action hero knows, it is a 24-7 job.

Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin: Fraud Fighter and Capeless Crusader

Fighting insurance crime doesn't require a cape and secret identity in North Carolina.

Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and his stellar team of sworn law enforcement officers in the Department of Insurance have cracked down on insurance fraud with a vengeance.

Note the reports linked here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. This is merely a representative sample from the last two months.

These results are not surprising in light of both the rise in insurance fraud during economic downturns such as now and the lengthy history of fraud fighting that North Carolina's insurance regulator has had over the years: Goodwin's Criminal Investigations Division is the oldest of its kind in the nation, and celebrates 65 years of service this year.

To date in 2010, Goodwin and his expert criminal investigators have seen more than 165 cases successfully closed with more than $5.8 million in restitution and recoveries, 40 criminal convictions and more than 65 arrests. Last year Goodwin's administration recovered approximately $10.2 million in restitution for North Carolina families and businesses.

It's also important to note that an estimated 10 cents of every dollar paid in premiums goes toward the payment of fraudulent claims. To report suspected fraud, contact the Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840. Callers may remain anonymous. Information is also available at www.ncdoi.com.

Keep in mind that Insurance Commissioner Goodwin has already been described by an "Under the Dome" blogger for the Raleigh News & Observer in October 2009 as

"apparently an action hero, by elected-official standards."

Goodwin, Price & Etheridge Address NC Black Leadership Summit on Health Insurance Reform

Congressman David Price, Congressman Bob Etheridge, and NC Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin participated in a special panel yesterday about the newly-enacted health insurance reform law.



Appearing at the request of The Alliance of Black Elected Officials, the state officials each gave a 10-minute opening statement and then took questions from the audience at The Black Summit 2010.

The federal lawmakers addressed the new law from their point-of-view, expressing the high points of the historic legislation and why they voted in favor of it.

Congressman Price spoke about several key provisions, including how unlike recent programs in the prior Bush administration that this one is paid for as it goes (also known as "Pay-Go").

Congressman Etheridge answered a question about why the health care reform bill passed now as contrasted to any other prior time. To that end, the Lillingon lawmaker gave a brief history lesson: Etheridge explained how Republican President Teddy Roosevelt had first proposed universal health insurance approximately over 100 years ago, and how time and time again the effort in various incarnations failed during the administrations of FDR, Truman, Nixon and Clinton. Unlike when Clinton tried, President Obama was a duly-elected President with a true majority vote of the persons voting, the first Democrat in 44 years to have that accomplishment. "Elections do matter, and President Obama had a mandate," said Etheridge.

NC Insurance Commissioner Goodwin used his time to address matters from a different angle: He focused on how he, the Department of Insurance, and the State will be implementing the new law.

"There are some very tight deadlines in place, and I'm going to do everything possible to make sure that North Carolina meets those deadlines so as many citizens as possible gain the benefits of health insurance and the actual savings in their family budgets," said Commissioner Goodwin. "If North Carolina's officials take the lead on this issue, then it prevents the federal government from stepping in and running the insurance exchanges and the high risk insurance pool and other things itself."

In some instances the "magic date" is September 23, 2010, and in others it is in 2013 and 2014.

Regardless, state lawmakers and other North Carolina officials will be deliberating upon and taking action on various components of the new health insurance law in 2010, 2011, 2012, and in 2013.

Insurance Commissioner Goodwin also reported how internally within the Department there are weekly and bi-weekly planning meetings, and that there are frequent implementation sessions with the Governor's office, legislative and executive branch leaders, and state insurance regulators across the country.

"Because of twin issues over the last eighteen months involving health insurance reforms and needed consumer financial protections in the banking and securities industries, my Department and I have had more interaction with our Congressional delegation than all of my Insurance Commissioner predecessors combined."

Before the panel discussion came to a close, Goodwin stressed how to watch out for insurance fraud from unscrupulous persons who may try to take advantage of persons during this transitional period. "If something sounds too good to be true, then - guess what? - it probably is," Goodwin said, regarding circumstances if purported insurance agents or fake companies try to hawk products labeled "Obamacare" or other fictitious services. He referenced the audience to www.ncdoi.com for additional tips and answers to frequently asked questions.

The event took place at the Crabtree Marriott Hotel in Raleigh.

Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin Fights Fraud, Saves Consumers Cash

As 2009 and the first year of his administration come to a close, Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and his team of law enforcement officers continue to fight fraud and root out lawbreakers and scofflaws. Read about the latest arrests and charges here, here, and here. Other crime-fighting activities are documented in earlier posts on this blog.

The Department of Insurance employs 20 sworn law enforcement officers dedicated to investigating claims of insurance fraud. So far in 2009, these criminal investigators have seen more than 241 cases successfully closed with more than $9.7 million in restitution and recoveries, 67 criminal convictions and 123 arrests and 92 cases pending in court.

An estimated 10 cents of every dollar paid in premiums goes toward the payment of fraudulent claims. To report suspected fraud, contact the Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840. Callers may remain anonymous. Information is also available at www.ncdoi.com.

Fighting Fraud is a Full-Time Job, Says Insurance Commissioner Goodwin

Fighting fraud is a full-time job itself, says North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin.

As an update to an item referenced in a previous post on Wayne's World here, last night NBC-17 News in Raleigh aired a story about the recent horrific Smithfield embezzlement case and how one of the fourteen victims identified to date has been effected.

Furthermore, Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin shared with the audience several tips on how to prevent being defrauded by insurance agents, investment advisers and others who offer to help manage your economic security.

As reported by NBC-17:

"The North Carolina Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division, which is investigating Hall, has more fraud cases than ever before, according to Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. [He] attributes it to the high unemployment rate.

'Fraud comes in many forms. And one thing which I have learned is that it can happen to anybody,' he said.

But Goodwin offers tips on how you can protect yourself:

-Always get a second opinion
-Ask family members to help with background checks
-Check out companies with the Department of Insurance
-Always ask brokers for verification and statements
-Never sign blank forms
-Never pay in cash for premiums
-And keep every record.

'I don't want to discourage people from developing trusting relationships. But you should always, always, when you are talking about your security get as much background information as you can and verify that that trust is warranted,' Goodwin said."

Click here for the link to the NBC-17 news item.

In addition to the high unemployment rate, the Commissioner attributes the spike in attempted and actual fraud to a plethora of causes tied to the dour economy. Among them are also the drop in value of stocks, securities and homes; job losses; the drop in consumer spending; and, the failure of wages generally to keep up with the cost of living.

"Your Insurance Commissioner and your state Department of Insurance are on the job every day fighting scammers, embezzlers, and thieves," said Goodwin. "Ultimately, we root them out, help send them to prison, and seek recovery and restitution for the victims."

In 2009 alone the Department has recovered approximately $10 million for affected individuals and businesses.

Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin Fights Fraud, Takes Big Bite Out of Crime

Your state Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and his highly-trained, experts at the Department of Insurance have given ample examples of their dedication to stamping out insurance fraud this week.

Just in the last week alone there have been this, this, this, this, and this.

The two most high profile of these have involved the CEO of Pace Airlines and the head of a business accused of swindling a 90-year old woman out of $168,000 and others out of more than $2.5 millions of dollars in savings.

"I'm proud of the quick and thorough work of my investigators in this case," said Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. "The money lost represents the hard work and savings of these honest people; we are doing everything we can to bring justice for them."

The Department of Insurance, through its Criminal Investigations Division, employs 20 sworn law enforcement officers dedicated to investigating claims of insurance fraud. So far in 2009, these criminal investigators have seen more than 241 cases successfully closed with more than $9.7 million in restitution and recoveries, 67 criminal convictions and 123 arrests and 92 cases pending in court.

An estimated 10 cents of every dollar paid in premiums goes toward the payment of fraudulent claims. To report suspected fraud, contact the Department of Insurance Investigations Division at (919) 807-6840. Callers may remain anonymous. Information is also available at the NC-DOI Web site.

And, to learn of ongoing law enforcement activity by the Department and Commissioner Goodwin, then please subscribe to the following Facebook page here or the RSS feed here.