State profile · NH · CMS + NAIC
New Hampshire marketplace insurers denied 11.3% of claims (29th of 30 states); drivers average $987/yr for auto cover, #36 nationally by cost.
The verdict
Marketplace insurers in New Hampshire deny 11.3% of claims - below the 20% national average, the 29th-highest of 30 states, and drivers pay an average $987 a year for auto cover, less than the $1191 national average (the 36th-most-expensive of 51 states).
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of NE: 28.8% denied (33,793 of 117,250)
29 % of claims denied
Celtic Insurance Company: 18.1% denied (142,923 of 790,001)
18 % of claims denied
Matthew Thornton Hlth Plan(Anthem BCBS): 8.0% denied (178,992 of 2,247,274)
8 % of claims denied
What this shows These carriers deny the largest share of marketplace claims filed in New Hampshire. Denial rates reflect plan design and network rules as much as carrier behaviour.
3 insurers reporting marketplace claims in New Hampshire
| # | Insurer | Claims | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of NE F | 117,250 | |
| 2 | Celtic Insurance Company C | 790,001 | |
| 3 | Matthew Thornton Hlth Plan(Anthem BCBS) A | 2,247,274 |
Among carriers with enough reported claims to compare, New Hampshire's highest marketplace denial rates in this dataset belong to Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of NE (28.8%), Celtic Insurance Company (18.1%), and Matthew Thornton Hlth Plan(Anthem BCBS) (8.0%). 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 100% of the 3,154,525 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.
2019: $865 average expenditure
$865 avg expenditure
2020: $848 average expenditure
$848 avg expenditure
2021: $843 average expenditure
$843 avg expenditure
2022: $881 average expenditure
$881 avg expenditure
2023: $987 average expenditure
$987 avg expenditure
What this shows New Hampshire drivers' average auto cost rose 14% between 2019 and 2023.
Year over year, New Hampshire's average auto expenditure rose 12.0% from 2022 to 2023, part of a 14% increase (+$122) since 2019. See the full 5-year state-by-state comparison.
New Hampshire auto rates in detail →New Hampshire: $987/yr average auto expenditure (this state)
$987 avg expenditure
Tennessee: $1050/yr average auto expenditure
$1,050 avg expenditure
Kentucky: $1046/yr average auto expenditure
$1,046 avg expenditure
Nebraska: $980/yr average auto expenditure
$980 avg expenditure
Montana: $975/yr average auto expenditure
$975 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 100% of the 3,154,525 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
New Hampshire's reporting insurers denied 11.3% of submitted marketplace claims, ranking 29th 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
New Hampshire's 2023 average auto expenditure was $987, 36th of 51 jurisdictions by cost and 17.1% below the national average. The figure reflects the coverage mix recorded by NAIC, not an individual driver's quote.
State insurance rules
New Hampshire 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. New Hampshire'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, New Hampshire's closest peers in PlainInsurer's dataset are Nebraska ($980/yr) and Montana ($975/yr) -- both within a few dollars of New Hampshire's own $987/yr.
Border comparison. New Hampshire borders Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont. New Hampshire's auto costs run higher than 1 of them and lower than 2, 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.