Resource Center

Stories

The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast.

These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need.

Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:



Search results for "Insurance Fraud" ...

  • Fields of Fraud

    The most sweeping proposed reform of U.S. agricultural assistance since the Great Depression would replace most direct payments to farmers with federally-backed crop insurance—a change that is designed to save money. But this CNBC investigation finds the change could open the door to massive fraud. http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000097737&play=1

    Tags: agriculture; fraud; tomato; U.S. Department of Agriculture; farming

    By Scott Cohn, Jeff Pohlman, Cat Corrigan, Michael Tomaso, Joe Frieda, Dave Dellaria, Evan Tyler

    CNBC

    2012

  • Questionable Coverage

    “Questionable Coverage” was a hidden camera investigative report about systematic health insurance scams affecting victims in nearly every state. As a direct result of our reporting, two companies ceased operations, a third has been sanctioned, and insurance regulators in Georgia and New York have launched their own investigations into the fraud.

    Tags: health insurance; scams; fraud; hidden cameras

    By Dan Slepian, Colin Dow, Chris Hansen

    NBC News

    2012

  • Burning Questions: Arson or Accident?

    Investigation which found that insurance companies with significant financial interests in the outcome of criminal arson investigations are in fact taking the lead in such probes- with the result that property owners are accused of setting fires that are almost certainly accidents.

    Tags: Arson; Insurance Fraud

    By Dee J. Hall; Phil Brinkman

    Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.)

    2011

  • Florida's Insurance Nightmare

    The Herald-Tribune's series about the Florida property insurance market gives Floridians their first look at the risk of the insurance companies on which they rely. "In print and online, readers can see detailed financial information of more than 100 insurance carriers, the capital they have to weather a disaster, the degree to which they are overexposed, and the extent to which they are leveraged. It is the only public source to alert consumers whose homes might be in danger."

    Tags: property insurance; fraud; hurricane; Florida; insurance fraud; National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Florida Office of Insurance Information;

    By Paige St. John

    Herald-Tribune (Sarasota, Fla.)

    2010

  • Deception of the Desperate

    The WSMV investigation "exposed how a Nashville-based company was deceiving people all across the country who were desperate for insurance. Many of these customers had serious illnesses, like AIDS and cancer, and could not get full coverage insurance. They found the company was telling consumers they were getting full coverage insurance, when in fact they were buying basic discount cards that barely paid any of their expenses. "

    Tags: insurance; fraud; consumer safety; medical insurance; health insurance

    By Jeremy Finley

    WSMV-TV (Nashville, Tenn.)

    2010

  • Crash Course

    A popular Florida referral service company had been attracting customers injured in car accidents. The company had been exploiting Florida's "no-fault" auto insurance law to mislead it's customers into giving money to a network of chiropractors and lawyers that pocketed their money.

    Tags: fraud; scam; auto insurance; lawyer fraud

    By Lisa Rab

    New Times (Broward - Palm Beach, FL)

    2010

  • 60 Billion Dollar Fraud

    “Medicare Fraud, a crime that steals an estimated $60 billion a year from the American taxpayer”. Medicare stated they were made efforts to crack down on the fraud, but this investigation proved otherwise. This investigation revealed how easy Medicare fraud is and that zero experience can still result in thousands of dollars from Medicare.

    Tags: health care; medical; medicine; officials; federal government; Congress; system; insurance; plan; doctors; hospitals; benefits

    By Steve Kroft; Ira Rosen; Joel Bach; Tadd Lascari; Kate Morris; Chuck Whitlock; Stephen Stock

    CBS News 60 Minutes

    2009

  • Medicare Fraud: The New Cocaine Cowboys

    Medicare Fraud has become one of the largest organized crimes in America. The investigation revealed that it costs “US taxpayers $60 billion in fraudulent Medicare benefits filed every year”. As a result of the first story, many groups moved in to initiate new laws, which would regulate Medicare and who gets the money.

    Tags: 60 Minutes; Department of Health and Human Services; congressional; health care; medical; medicine; schemes; insurance; clinics; system

    By Stephen Stock; Amber Statler-Matthews; Giovani Benitez; Adrienne Roark; Nick Gordillo

    WFOR-TV (Miami)

    2009

  • "Wombs for Rent"

    The U.S. is one of the only developed countries that allows surrogacy, though the laws differ across the states. Taking an in-depth look into the world of commercial surrogacy, Habiba Nosheen and Hilke Schellmann find the current system leaves a lot of room for "deceit and fraud." They follow one woman through the surrogacy process and reveal a number of problems, including health insurance fraud.

    Tags: surrogacy; SurroGenesis; Tonya Collina; Sarah Jessica Parker

    By Habiba Nosheen; Hilke Schellmann; Maria Hinojosa

    PBS NOW

    2009

  • National Prearranged Services, a House of Cards

    "This series concerned a multimillion-dollar insurance fraud perpetrated by National Prearranged services, a large national insurance provider, against dozens of its business customers, many of whom were driven to financial hardship and even bankruptcy as a result of NPS' actions.

    Tags: fraud; prearranged funeral services; funeral; mortuary; insurance;

    By Stephen Lee; Lisa Getter

    United Communications Group

    2008