Do your clients know who their doctors are?

Do your clients know who their doctors are?

 

Aviva Canada’s anti-fraud team triggered a police investigation of a man purporting to be a physician and treating Aviva insureds for injuries they sustained in auto accidents. The man is alleged to have led the public and various insurance companies to believe he was a licensed physician when he is not licensed to practice medicine in Ontario.

 

Police say the man owned and operated Lindsay Medical Laser Therapy in Lindsay, Ontario.

 

When the investigators closed in on the Ontario healthcare clinic, the man shut down the operation and re-opened a clinic in Alberta, Aviva Canada’s investigators allege. 

 

After collaboration between Aviva Canada, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), the Toronto Police Service, the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Ontario and members of the Crown Attorney’s office in Toronto, a Canada‐wide arrest warrant was issued for the man’s arrest. 

 

Police arrested Arun Reddy, 31, in Fort Saskatchewan, and brought him back to Ontario to face 15 counts of fraud and one count of false misrepresentation. (continued)

 

“Stopping this type of fraudulent activity early is key,” said Greg Dunn, executive vice president of claims and customer service operations with Aviva Canada. “It means we prevent illegally‐operated clinics not only from taking money from Canadians through the insurance product, but also from abusing the trust of everyone whom relies on these healthcare providers for their recovery and to restore their lives.”

 

Brokers have called on these and 37 other regulations contained in the report to be passed in the legislature as soon as possible.

 

Glen Cooper, a spokesperson for Aviva Canada, said brokers “absolutely have a role to play” in educating consumers about identifying and reporting fraud.

 

“We see brokers as valuable advocates who explain to customers that we are serious about fraud and that the effect fraud has on the insurance industry,” said Cooper. “Brokers are important to the education of consumers, and also in their interactions with anybody connected to the industry. If they see something that’s not right, then let’s have conversations about it.  It’s to the benefit of everyone in this industry that we weed this fraud out of the system.”