State profile · MT · CMS + NAIC
Montana marketplace insurers denied 12.8% of claims (27th of 30 states); drivers average $975/yr for auto cover, #38 nationally by cost.
The verdict
Marketplace insurers in Montana deny 12.8% of claims - below the 20% national average, the 27th-highest of 30 states, and drivers pay an average $975 a year for auto cover, less than the $1191 national average (the 38th-most-expensive of 51 states).
2019: $836 average expenditure
$836 avg expenditure
2020: $834 average expenditure
$834 avg expenditure
2021: $846 average expenditure
$846 avg expenditure
2022: $885 average expenditure
$885 avg expenditure
2023: $975 average expenditure
$975 avg expenditure
What this shows Montana drivers' average auto cost rose 17% between 2019 and 2023.
Year over year, Montana's average auto expenditure rose 10.2% from 2022 to 2023, part of a 17% increase (+$139) since 2019. See the full 5-year state-by-state comparison.
Montana auto rates in detail →Montana: $975/yr average auto expenditure (this state)
$975 avg expenditure
New Hampshire: $987/yr average auto expenditure
$987 avg expenditure
Nebraska: $980/yr average auto expenditure
$980 avg expenditure
Kansas: $973/yr average auto expenditure
$973 avg expenditure
Wyoming: $948/yr average auto expenditure
$948 avg expenditure
2 insurers reporting marketplace claims in Montana
| # | Insurer | Claims | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana A | 1,224,773 | |
| 2 | Montana Health Cooperative A | 928,281 |
Among carriers with enough reported claims to compare, Montana's highest marketplace denial rates in this dataset belong to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana (13.2%) and Montana Health Cooperative (12.3%). 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 2 largest insurers account for 100% of the 2,153,054 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.
Montana Health Cooperative: 279 of 1,163 reported appeals overturned
24 appeals overturned (%)
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana: 104 of 336 reported appeals overturned
31 appeals overturned (%)
What this shows Across the 2 carriers with at least 100 reported appeals in Montana, 25.6% of reported appeals were overturned (383 of 1,499). This filing field describes reported outcomes, not the likelihood that an individual claim will change.
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 2 largest reporting insurers represent 100% of the 2,153,054 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
Montana's reporting insurers denied 12.8% of submitted marketplace claims, ranking 27th 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
Montana's 2023 average auto expenditure was $975, 38th of 51 jurisdictions by cost and 18.1% below the national average. The figure reflects the coverage mix recorded by NAIC, not an individual driver's quote.
State insurance rules
Montana 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. Montana's insurance commissioner is a directly elected statewide office, one of 11 states where voters choose this role rather than a governor.
Nearest expenditure peers. By average auto expenditure, Montana's closest peers in PlainInsurer's dataset are Kansas ($973/yr) and Nebraska ($980/yr) -- both within a few dollars of Montana's own $975/yr.
Border comparison. Montana borders Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Montana'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.