State profile · MO · CMS + NAIC
Missouri marketplace insurers denied 18.3% of claims (21st of 30 states); drivers average $1155/yr for auto cover, #22 nationally by cost.
The verdict
Marketplace insurers in Missouri deny 18.3% of claims - below the 20% national average, the 21st-highest of 30 states, and drivers pay an average $1155 a year for auto cover, about the $1191 national average (the 22nd-most-expensive of 51 states).
UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company: 30.7% denied (448,480 of 1,458,708)
31 % of claims denied
Oscar Insurance Company: 28.3% denied (189,300 of 668,238)
28 % of claims denied
Medica Insurance Company: 25.5% denied (107,624 of 422,314)
26 % of claims denied
Medica Central Insurance Company: 22.6% denied (14,532 of 64,203)
23 % of claims denied
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City: 22.1% denied (34,562 of 156,249)
22 % of claims denied
Celtic Insurance Company: 19.2% denied (1,251,198 of 6,509,852)
19 % of claims denied
Cox Health Systems Insurance Company: 17.7% denied (18,221 of 102,975)
18 % of claims denied
Healthy Alliance Life Co(Anthem BCBS): 10.1% denied (427,441 of 4,249,360)
10 % of claims denied
What this shows These carriers deny the largest share of marketplace claims filed in Missouri. Denial rates reflect plan design and network rules as much as carrier behaviour.
8 insurers reporting marketplace claims in Missouri
| # | Insurer | Claims | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company F | 1,458,708 | |
| 2 | Oscar Insurance Company F | 668,238 | |
| 3 | Medica Insurance Company D | 422,314 | |
| 4 | Medica Central Insurance Company D | 64,203 | |
| 5 | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City C | 156,249 | |
| 6 | Celtic Insurance Company C | 6,509,852 | |
| 7 | Cox Health Systems Insurance Company B | 102,975 | |
| 8 | Healthy Alliance Life Co(Anthem BCBS) A | 4,249,360 |
Among carriers with enough reported claims to compare, Missouri's highest marketplace denial rates in this dataset belong to UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company (30.7%), Oscar Insurance Company (28.3%), and Medica Insurance Company (25.5%). 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 3 largest insurers account for 90% of the 13,631,899 claims represented here. The statewide rate is based on several reporting carriers, but its largest contributors still shape the aggregate. 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.
Oscar Insurance Company: 1,884 of 5,920 reported appeals overturned
32 appeals overturned (%)
UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company: 386 of 1,119 reported appeals overturned
35 appeals overturned (%)
Healthy Alliance Life Co(Anthem BCBS): 98 of 270 reported appeals overturned
36 appeals overturned (%)
Medica Insurance Company: 100 of 208 reported appeals overturned
48 appeals overturned (%)
What this shows Across the 4 carriers with at least 100 reported appeals in Missouri, 32.8% of reported appeals were overturned (2,468 of 7,517). This filing field describes reported outcomes, not the likelihood that an individual claim will change.
2019: $934 average expenditure
$934 avg expenditure
2020: $909 average expenditure
$909 avg expenditure
2021: $932 average expenditure
$932 avg expenditure
2022: $1004 average expenditure
$1,004 avg expenditure
2023: $1155 average expenditure
$1,155 avg expenditure
What this shows Missouri drivers' average auto cost rose 24% between 2019 and 2023.
Year over year, Missouri's average auto expenditure rose 15.1% from 2022 to 2023, part of a 24% increase (+$221) since 2019. See the full 5-year state-by-state comparison.
Missouri auto rates in detail →Missouri: $1155/yr average auto expenditure (this state)
$1,155 avg expenditure
Oregon: $1170/yr average auto expenditure
$1,170 avg expenditure
Utah: $1169/yr average auto expenditure
$1,169 avg expenditure
Pennsylvania: $1155/yr average auto expenditure
$1,155 avg expenditure
Illinois: $1153/yr average auto expenditure
$1,153 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 90% of the 13,631,899 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
Missouri's reporting insurers denied 18.3% of submitted marketplace claims, ranking 21st 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
Missouri's 2023 average auto expenditure was $1155, 22nd of 51 jurisdictions by cost and 3.0% below the national average. The figure reflects the coverage mix recorded by NAIC, not an individual driver's quote.
State insurance rules
Missouri 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. Missouri'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, Missouri's closest peers in PlainInsurer's dataset are Pennsylvania ($1155/yr) and Illinois ($1153/yr) -- both within a few dollars of Missouri's own $1155/yr.
Border comparison. Missouri borders Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Missouri's auto costs run higher than all of them, 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.