Texas Watch—Consumer Protection. Corporate Accountability. Citizen Advocacy.

Like our Founding Fathers before us, the time has come for us to stand up and be heard. Tell key lawmakers to declare their independence from the insurance industry by standing up for Texas homeowners and passing real reforms that will give Texans some protection from excessive premiums and inadequate coverage.

On Tuesday, the Sunset Commission, a key legislative committee, will be considering reforms to the Texas Department of Insurance.  Let the committee members know that this year you want them to declare their independence from the insurance industry. It’s time for our legislators to pass common-sense insurance reforms so that Texas families are guaranteed basic protections, rates are fair and coverage is adequate.

Texas Watch has a simple plan designed to rein in abusive insurance company tactics and improve consumer protections for Texas policyholders:

• Enact Streamlined Prior Approval. Give the insurance commissioner an opportunity to review rates before – not after – they are imposed on Texas homeowners.  This improved consumer protection is the single most important step lawmakers can take toward improving our market for consumers.  It would guarantee that the insurance commissioner has the ability to protect Texas homeowners from rate hikes he believes are unfair or unwarranted.
• End Unfair Insurance Practices. Insurance companies should no longer be allowed to use credit scoring and data mining, which are fraught with errors, do not accurately reflect a person’s risk, and are riddled with the potential for abuse. Plus, the insurance industry’s deny-first mentality must be stopped.
• Simplify Insurance Policies. Consumers have no way to effectively shop the Texas insurance market because it is too complex and confusing to allow true consumer choice. Give consumers more control over their insurance decisions by empowering them to effectively compare different options.

Take action now to send a message to the Sunset committee members encouraging them to incorporate real insurance reforms into their recommendations.