Missing Mandan Woman Under Investigation for Medical Insurance Fraud in Bismarck

Tammy Urness, a 58-year-old woman from Mandan, North Dakota, is facing a felony fraud charge following an investigation into medical insurance fraud in Bismarck.

Burleigh County prosecutors allege that Urness filed 13 fraudulent claims through AFLAC insurance company to collect payments for medical services she did not receive.

According to court documents, AFLAC paid Urness more than $98,000 across various policies, including accident, cancer, hospital, and specified event policies.

Investigation and Fraudulent Claims

The investigation began in June 2023 after the North Dakota Insurance Department received a request to investigate from AFLAC.

Investigators determined that Urness submitted claims for services at several healthcare providers, but the facilities reported no corresponding treatment.

• Sanford Health stated that Urness had not been treated on the dates she claimed to have received ICU treatment for strokes.
• Sanford Health also confirmed she was not treated for a tick bite in June 2023, despite her claims.
• CHI St. Alexius informed investigators in May 2025 that they had not seen Urness at any of their facilities since 2022.
• Capital Chiropractic & Spinal Rehabilitation Center, P.C. Reported that they had not seen Urness in December 2024, contrary to her claims.

Urness admitted to investigators that she altered hospital documents by converting them into PDFs at her place of employment to facilitate the fraud.

Legal Proceedings and Motive

Court records indicate that Urness used her husband’s name and accounts in some instances to file claims between June 2023 and February 2025.

The motive for the fraudulent activity was attributed to financial pressure. Urness’s husband told investigators that she did it to pay off some credit card bills and did not realize how serious it was.

Urness faces a felony fraud charge and could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

A jury trial for the case is scheduled for June 3, 2026.

Related Missing Person Report

The fraud charges coincide with a recent missing person report. Urness was reported missing on April 2, 2026, and was found safe two days later on April 4, 2026.

Police departments in Mandan and Bismarck were unable to provide a reason why Urness went missing for those two days.