State profile · AZ · CMS + NAIC
Arizona marketplace insurers denied 23.2% of claims (4th of 30 states); drivers average $1344/yr for auto cover, #16 nationally by cost.
The verdict
Marketplace insurers in Arizona deny 23.2% of claims - above the 20% national average, the 4th-highest of 30 states, and drivers pay an average $1344 a year for auto cover, more than the $1191 national average (the 16th-most-expensive of 51 states).
Imperial Insurance Companies, Inc.: 37.6% denied (1,396 of 3,717)
38 % of claims denied
Oscar Health Plan, Inc.: 34.6% denied (119,454 of 344,800)
35 % of claims denied
UnitedHealthcare of Arizona, Inc.: 28.4% denied (883,016 of 3,109,278)
28 % of claims denied
Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc: 21.4% denied (32,008 of 149,478)
21 % of claims denied
Health Net of Arizona, Inc.: 19.4% denied (693,915 of 3,580,808)
19 % of claims denied
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona, Inc.: 19.4% denied (310,940 of 1,604,775)
19 % of claims denied
What this shows These carriers deny the largest share of marketplace claims filed in Arizona. Denial rates reflect plan design and network rules as much as carrier behaviour.
6 insurers reporting marketplace claims in Arizona
| # | Insurer | Claims | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imperial Insurance Companies, Inc. F | 3,717 | |
| 2 | Oscar Health Plan, Inc. F | 344,800 | |
| 3 | UnitedHealthcare of Arizona, Inc. F | 3,109,278 | |
| 4 | Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc C | 149,478 | |
| 5 | Health Net of Arizona, Inc. C | 3,580,808 | |
| 6 | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona, Inc. C | 1,604,775 |
Among carriers with enough reported claims to compare, Arizona's highest marketplace denial rates in this dataset belong to Imperial Insurance Companies, Inc. (37.6%), Oscar Health Plan, Inc. (34.6%), and UnitedHealthcare of Arizona, Inc. (28.4%). A high rate often reflects utilization-review intensity and network design, not just claim legitimacy -- check the carrier's own profile before drawing conclusions.
The reported-claims sample is highly concentrated: the 3 largest insurers account for 94% of the 8,792,856 claims represented here. That makes the statewide rate especially sensitive to the mix and experience of a few reporting carriers. Only insurers with at least 1,000 claims in the CMS filing are included, so this is a description of the available dataset rather than the full insurance market.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona, Inc.: 1,806 of 4,769 reported appeals overturned
38 appeals overturned (%)
Oscar Health Plan, Inc.: 918 of 4,434 reported appeals overturned
21 appeals overturned (%)
UnitedHealthcare of Arizona, Inc.: 993 of 2,607 reported appeals overturned
38 appeals overturned (%)
Health Net of Arizona, Inc.: 14 of 502 reported appeals overturned
3 appeals overturned (%)
What this shows Across the 4 carriers with at least 100 reported appeals in Arizona, 30.3% of reported appeals were overturned (3,731 of 12,312). This filing field describes reported outcomes, not the likelihood that an individual claim will change.
2019: $1065 average expenditure
$1,065 avg expenditure
2020: $1043 average expenditure
$1,043 avg expenditure
2021: $1070 average expenditure
$1,070 avg expenditure
2022: $1155 average expenditure
$1,155 avg expenditure
2023: $1344 average expenditure
$1,344 avg expenditure
What this shows Arizona drivers' average auto cost rose 26% between 2019 and 2023.
Year over year, Arizona's average auto expenditure rose 16.4% from 2022 to 2023, part of a 26% increase (+$279) since 2019. See the full 5-year state-by-state comparison.
Arizona auto rates in detail →Arizona: $1344/yr average auto expenditure (this state)
$1,344 avg expenditure
Connecticut: $1394/yr average auto expenditure
$1,394 avg expenditure
South Carolina: $1367/yr average auto expenditure
$1,367 avg expenditure
Massachusetts: $1326/yr average auto expenditure
$1,326 avg expenditure
California: $1223/yr average auto expenditure
$1,223 avg expenditure
Evidence map
The order below follows the evidence with the greatest bearing on this state record, while keeping the CMS claims filing, NAIC cost series, and state-rule context distinct.
Reporting-sample shape
The 3 largest reporting insurers represent 94% of the 8,792,856 claims in this page's CMS sample. That concentration means the statewide rate can be strongly affected by a few carriers and their plan mix.
Marketplace claims filing
Arizona's reporting insurers denied 23.2% of submitted marketplace claims, ranking 4th among the 30 states with a comparable federal filing. This is a carrier-reported claims measure, not a consumer-complaint rate or a prediction of how an individual claim will be resolved.
Auto-cost position
Arizona's 2023 average auto expenditure was $1344, 16th of 51 jurisdictions by cost and 12.9% above the national average. The figure reflects the coverage mix recorded by NAIC, not an individual driver's quote.
State insurance rules
Arizona uses an at-fault (tort) auto-insurance system: the driver responsible for an accident, or their insurer, is liable for the other party's damages -- unlike the 12 no-fault states. Arizona's insurance commissioner is an appointed office (in most states, by the governor), not an elected position -- one of 39 states structured this way.
Nearest expenditure peers. By average auto expenditure, Arizona's closest peers in PlainInsurer's dataset are Massachusetts ($1326/yr) and South Carolina ($1367/yr) -- both within a few dollars of Arizona's own $1344/yr.
Border comparison. Arizona borders California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. Arizona's auto costs run higher than 2 of them and lower than 3, by average auto expenditure -- geography is one of several factors (alongside regulation and risk pool) that shapes these differences, not a direct cause.
Rate regulation and guaranty-fund coverage are state-specific, so a state record can differ from an insurer's national average. Sources: CMS Transparency in Coverage PUF PY2026; NAIC 2023 Auto Insurance Database; Insurance Information Institute; Ballotpedia.
State insurance-department directory links come from NAIC. PlainInsurer is not affiliated with NAIC or CMS.
Every figure on PlainInsurer comes directly from NAIC MCAS and CMS Transparency in Coverage data; no editor types in numbers. See our editorial standards or methodology, or report an error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Grades measure only the published complaint/denial data; we don't recommend any insurer or policy.