Beth Howard is a recognized leader in healthcare cost containment and medical billing integrity, with more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry. She spent over a decade as a medical bill review and billing expert, building a foundation of technical precision that now informs her strategic leadership as Chief Executive Officer of CostFirst Corp.

Under her leadership, CostFirst has evolved into a comprehensive cost containment and dispute resolution firm, delivering advanced medical bill review, lien negotiation, and litigation support services across workers’ compensation and general liability claims. Beth has played a pivotal role in shaping industry standards through the integration of certified coding expertise, data-driven analysis, and proactive fraud detection methodologies.

Beth is an active member of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, where she serves on both the Medical Fraud Task Force and the Workers’ Compensation Task Force, contributing to national efforts to combat healthcare fraud and abuse. She is also engaged with the National Anti-Fraud Alliance, further reinforcing her commitment to advancing fraud prevention initiatives across the insurance ecosystem.

Her expertise has been recognized at the highest levels. Beth has served as a medical billing and coding expert witness before grand juries and in criminal court proceedings involving complex fraud and abuse cases. She is also a candidate for Independent Bill Review (IBR) panel selection, supporting workers’ compensation judges in resolving billing disputes with objectivity and technical authority.

A Certified Professional Coder (CPC) through the American Academy of Professional Coders, Beth is proficient in ICD-10-CM and maintains active membership with both AAPC and the National Alliance of Medical Auditing Specialists.

In addition to her operational leadership, Beth is a respected educator and speaker. She has provided training and instruction to the California Department of Insurance, the National Anti-Fraud Alliance, the California Workers’ Compensation Defense Attorneys’ Association, as well as third-party administrators, brokers, self-insured employers, and defense firms.

Beth’s work is driven by a clear mission: to elevate transparency, strengthen integrity, and deliver measurable impact in the fight against healthcare fraud while reducing unnecessary costs across the claims lifecycle.