CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

Due to COVID-19, OPIC is telecommuting. We are still here to serve Texas consumers. Please send us questions at help@opic.texas.gov. You can also call toll-free at 1-877-611-6742, but response times may be slower. We thank you for your understanding.

Visit our COVID-19 FAQ Page

5 Important Things To Do Before a Storm Hits

Before a storm hits, make sure you know the right resources to get up-to-date weather information. You can: Subscribe to national weather alerts. Download FEMA app real-time alerts from the National...

Resources for Business Owners During COVID-19

OPIC understands this is a difficult time for Texans. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic raises a number of insurance questions for small business owners. We hope that the following information...

How to Reduce Your Wildfire Risk

A wildfire is an unplanned fire that burns in a natural area such as a forest, grassland, or prairie. Wildfires are often caused by humans or lightning and can happen anywhere at any time. Wildfire...

What is Roadside Assistance?

Roadside assistance helps you when your vehicle breaks down. Some companies automatically include this coverage, but it is often an optional coverage that can be added to your auto policy. It is...

OPIC’s 2019 Achievements

OPIC has been working hard for consumers this year, analyzing over 2,100 rules, rates, and policy forms. We are a small, 10-person agency, but we did big things in 2019, saving Texas consumers over...

Understanding PIP vs Med-Pay

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Medical Payments (Med-Pay) are auto coverages that pay regardless of who is at fault in an accident. While these coverages have some things in common, they are...

Avoid Contractor Fraud After a Disaster

After a tornado or storm, you may need to hire a contractor to fix damage to your home. It’s important to be aware of common contracting scams that occur after disasters, and how to go about the...

OPIC Staff Shop Their Policies

OPIC always encourages consumers to shop around for insurance, so we took our own advice and did the same. OPIC staff recently shopped for our own policies to see if we could get a better deal on...

What You Need to Know About Medical Codes

What Are Medical Codes? Medical codes are the way doctors and other healthcare professionals describe medical diagnoses and treatments. These codes are important for understanding how medical...

Avoiding a Car Crash

Each year over 6.5 million car accidents happen in the United States. These crashes result in 2.75 million injuries and 34,000 deaths every year (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)....

Policy Comparison Tool

Agent Comment Portal

Highlights and News

2019-2020 HMO Report Cards Now Available

OPIC released its annual Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) reports this week. The reports, Comparing Texas HMOs 2019-2020 and Guide to Texas HMO Quality 2019-2020, provide Texans with consumer satisfaction and quality of care information about HMOs.

OPIC Provides Comments on TDI Consumer Choice Benefit Plan Disclosures Rule

OPIC sent comments to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) regarding their informal draft rules on consumer choice health benefit plan disclosures.

OPIC’s Letter to TDI

OPIC Provides Comments on TDI Mental Health Parity Rule

OPIC sent comments to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) regarding their informal draft rules on mental health and substance abuse disorder parity requirements.

OPIC’s Letter to TDI

OPIC Requests Special Auto Data Call

The Office of Public Insurance Counsel (OPIC) requested that the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) conduct a special data call of the top 10 auto insurance groups in the state to gather information about personal auto claims during the pandemic. OPIC needs the data to fulfill its statutory duty to assess the impact of insurance rates on insurance consumers in Texas and to represent their interests.

Letter on Special Auto Data Call

OPIC's Kimberly Donovan Named 2020 NAIC Consumer Liaison Representative

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) recently announced their 2020 Consumer Liaison Representatives. OPIC’s Chief Policy Analyst, Kimberly Donovan has been appointed as one of the funded Consumer Liaison Representatives. The Consumer Liaison Program “promotes consumer interaction with the NAIC’s members, the insurance industry and interested parties through the individuals’ dedication and commitment to serving the public interest,” an NAIC press release said.

OPIC Staff to Telecommute due to COVID-19

For the health and safety of our staff due to COVID-19, OPIC’s office will be closed. All OPIC functions will continue as our staff will telecommute and check voicemail during regular business hours. We thank you for your understanding. We are still here to serve Texas consumers so please do not hesitate to contact us if you need anything.

For more information on COVID-19, visit our COVID-19 FAQ page or DSHS website.

Tweets by TXOPIC