Texas Department of Insurance Working for You
(August 2016)
TDI Telephone Guide: General Information and Assistance | Administration | Filings Intake | Financial
Inspections | Licensing | Life, Accident, and Health Insurance | Property and Casualty Insurance | State Fire Marshal's Office | Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) | Other Helpful Numbers
The Texas Department of Insurance protects insurance consumers by:
- regulating the industry fairly and diligently,
- promoting a stable and competitive market, and
- providing information that makes a difference.
This publication tells you about our services and has a list of helpful phone numbers. For more information or answers to general insurance questions, call our toll-free Consumer Help Line at 1-800-252-3439 or visit our website.
Regulating the Insurance Industry
Licensing
Texas law requires most insurance companies and insurance-related businesses to have a license to sell their products or services. TDI licenses:
- insurance companies and agents,
- third-party administrators,
- health maintenance organizations (HMOs),
- premium finance companies,
- continuing care retirement communities,
- insurance adjusters, and
- public insurance adjusters.
Compliance and Enforcement
TDI also enforces Texas insurance laws and rules, investigates misconduct, and takes enforcement action against companies and agents.
TDI may fine agents and companies that delay claims payments, misrepresent policies, charge inappropriate rates, or commit other unlawful acts.
Financial Regulation
To ensure that insurance companies have money to pay claims and expenses, TDI looks at companies' financial conditions and enforces rules to make sure they stay financially stable.
TDI publishes company profiles that show a company's complaint record and other information, including the company's history and any enforcement actions TDI has taken against the company. For a company profile, call our Consumer Help Line or use the Company Lookup feature on our website.
Insurance Fraud
TDI investigates insurance fraud and helps prosecute offenders. The most common types of fraud are selling insurance without a license, over-billing insurance companies, padding claims, or filing claims for losses that didn't happen.
To report suspected insurance fraud, call the Consumer Help Line.
Advertising
TDI looks at insurance advertising to make sure they comply with laws and rules, to detect possible fraud, and to guard against misrepresentation. TDI can penalize insurance companies and agents who use unfair trade practices or deceptive advertising. Penalties include warnings, fines, and license revocations. In some cases, TDI may require companies to refund premiums to consumers.
Technical Analysis
TDI reviews rates companies file with TDI and provides information to help policymakers and consumers. We also review data to detect problem insurance companies.
Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC)
TDI regulates the state's system to pay medical and income benefits to workers who are injured at work or who have work-related illnesses. The division:
- licenses workers' compensation insurance companies and networks,
- approves companies that want to self-insure,
- enforces workers' compensation laws and rules,
- promotes worker health and safety,
- provides access to medical care for injured workers,
- administers a dispute resolution system for disputes involving workers' compensation benefits, and
- provides services to help injured workers return to work.
Helping Consumers
Consumer Help Line
TDI's toll-free Consumer Help Line assists callers with insurance questions and concerns. The help line is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Central time.
Complaint Assistance
TDI helps consumers recover millions of dollars in refunds and additional claim payments each year. If you have a complaint against an insurance company or agent, first notify your company. If you still aren't satisfied, you may formally complain to TDI. You may submit a written complaint in the following ways:
- on our website at www.tdi.texas.gov/consumer/complfrm.html
- by email at ConsumerProtection@tdi.texas.gov
- by fax at 512-490-1007
- by mail at
Texas Department of Insurance
Consumer Protection (111-1A)
P.O. Box 149091
Austin, TX 78714-9091
Workers' Compensation Medical & Income Benefit Dispute Resolution
DWC resolves disputes about workers' compensation benefits. Call DWC’s Customer Assistance Section at 1-800-252-7031.
Public Education and Publications
TDI gives presentations and produces free publications to help you better understand insurance. Visit our website to view our publications online or call our Consumer Help Line to have publications mailed to you.
Disaster Response
TDI sends disaster response teams to affected areas after disasters. These teams provide information about insurance, help people file claims, and help with consumer complaints.
State Fire Marshal's Office
TDI helps protect lives and property against fire hazards. The State Fire Marshal's Office:
- conducts arson investigations;
- conducts fire safety inspections;
- collects and publishes data from fire departments;
- enforces fire extinguisher, sprinkler, and alarm laws;
- licenses and regulates fireworks; and
- educates children and consumers on fire prevention and safety.
To report suspected arson, call our Arson Hotline at 1-877-4Fire-45 (434-7345).
TDI Telephone Guide
General Information and Assistance
| TDI main number | 1-800-578-4677 |
|
Consumer Help Line (for general insurance questions or to report suspected insurance fraud) and Publications Order Line |
1-800-252-3439 |
| Speakers Bureau | 512-676-6277 |
| Open Records | Fax: 512-490-1021, email: OpenRecords@tdi.texas.gov |
Administration
| Commissioner | 512-676-6020 |
| Commissioner’s Office, Ombudsman | 512-676-6605 |
| General Counsel | 512-676-6586 |
| Public Affairs | 512-676-6591 |
| Legal | 512-676-6545 |
| Government Relations | 512-676-6605 |
| Media Relations Office | 512-676-6595 |
| Communications | 512-676-6593 |
| Human Resources | 1-800-578-4677 |
Filings Intake
| Life/Health and HMO Filings | 512-676-6888 |
| Property and Casualty Filings | 512-676-6700 |
Financial
| Actuarial | 512-676-6846 |
| Market Conduct | 512-676-6829 |
| Registration (surplus lines, foreign RRGs, purchasing groups) | 512-676-6396 |
| Financial Analysis | 512-676-6417 |
| Financial Examinations | 512-676-6835 |
| Rehabilitation and Liquidation Oversight | 512-676-6418 |
Inspections
| Engineering | 512-676-6763 |
| Loss Control | 512-676-6751 |
| Windstorm | 1-800-248-6032 |
| Fire Safety | 512-676-6800 |
| Amusement Rides | 512-676-6751 |
Licensing and Examinations
| Agents and Adjuster Licensing Help Line | 512-676-6500 |
| Admitted Companies and HMOs | 512-676-6383 |
| Company Licensing & Registration Division | 512-676-6376 |
| State Fire Marshal | 512-676-6807 |
| Examinations | 512-676-6835 |
Life, Accident, and Health Insurance
| Life, Accident, and Health Insurance | 512-676-6673 |
| Managed Care Quality Assurance Office | 1-866-554-4926 |
Property and Casualty Insurance
| Personal and Commercial | 512-676-6710 |
| TexasSure Vehicle Insurance Verification | 512-676-6695 |
State Fire Marshal's Office
| Main number | 1-800-578-4677 |
| Fire/Arson Investigations | 512-676-6800 |
| Arson Hotline (to report suspected arson) | 1-877-4FIRE45 (434-7345) |
Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC)
| Injured Employee Hotline and Claims and Customer Services | 1-800-252-7031 |
| Safety Violations Hotline (to report employer health and safety violations) | 1-800-452-9595 |
|
Workplace Safety (OSHCON, accident prevention services, |
1-800-687-7080 |
| Return-to-Work Program | 512-804-4683 |
| Classification and Premium Calculation | 512-676-6681 |
|
Field offices (Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, |
1-800-252-7031 |
Other Helpful Numbers
| 2-1-1 Texas (to find local and state health and human services programs) |
2-1-1 |
| CHIP/Children's Medicaid | 1-877-543-7669 chipmedicaid.org |
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) fema.gov |
| Medicaid Hotline (Texas Health and Human Services Commission) | 1-800-252-8263 hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicaid-chip |
| Medicare | 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227) medicare.gov |
| Office of Public Insurance Counsel | 1-877-611-6742 opic.texas.gov |
| Office of Injured Employee Counsel | 1-866-393-6432 oiec.texas.gov |
| Office of the Texas Attorney General Consumer Protection Hotline | 1-800-621-0508 texasattorneygeneral.gov/ |
| State Office of Administrative Hearings | 512-475-4993 soah.texas.gov |
| Texas Automobile Insurance Plan Association | 1-866-321-9154 taipa.org |
| Texas Windstorm Insurance Association | 1-800-788-8247 twia.org |
| Texas FAIR Plan Association | 1-800-979-6440 texasfairplan.org |
| Texas Commission on Fire Protection | 512-936-3838 tcfp.texas.gov |
| Texas Department of State Health Services Licensing and Complaint Line (state mental health facility) | 1-888-973-0022 dshs.state.tx.us |
| Texas Department of Aging and Disability Service's Consumer Rights and Services Hotline (nursing homes, assisted living, care for people with mental retardation) | 1-800-252-8154 dads.state.tx.us |
| Texas Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association | 1-800-982-6362 txlifega.org |
| Texas Medical Board |
1-800-201-9353 |
| Texas Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association Customer Service Line |
1-800-856-0298 |
| Texas Title Insurance Guaranty Association | 512-480-5120 ttiga.org |
| U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | 1-877-222-8387 va.gov |
The information in this publication is current as of the revision date. Changes in laws and agency administrative rules made after the revision date may affect the content. View current information on our website. TDI distributes this publication for educational purposes only. This publication is not an endorsement by TDI of any service, product, or company.
For more information, contact:
Last updated: 07/03/2017