State profile · SC · CMS + NAIC
South Carolina marketplace insurers denied 18.1% of claims (22nd of 30 states); drivers average $1367/yr for auto cover, #15 nationally by cost.
The verdict
Marketplace insurers in South Carolina deny 18.1% of claims - below the 20% national average, the 22nd-highest of 30 states, and drivers pay an average $1367 a year for auto cover, more than the $1191 national average (the 15th-most-expensive of 51 states).
Same 1,000-claim floor as the table, ordered by rate
Select Health of South Carolina: 36.5% denied (51,650 of 141,484)
37 % of claims denied
UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina, Inc.: 29.3% denied (177,319 of 605,443)
29 % of claims denied
Molina Healthcare of South Carolina, Inc: 22.5% denied (256,367 of 1,138,255)
23 % of claims denied
Absolute Total Care, Inc: 17.6% denied (1,605,146 of 9,103,191)
18 % of claims denied
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina: 17.3% denied (2,095,964 of 12,121,048)
17 % of claims denied
What this shows A high rate on a smaller book is not evidence of the most denied claims in South Carolina.
Same filing sample, ordered by denied count rather than rate
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina: 2,095,964 denied of 12,121,048 (17.3%)
2,095,964 denied claims
Absolute Total Care, Inc: 1,605,146 denied of 9,103,191 (17.6%)
1,605,146 denied claims
Molina Healthcare of South Carolina, Inc: 256,367 denied of 1,138,255 (22.5%)
256,367 denied claims
UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina, Inc.: 177,319 denied of 605,443 (29.3%)
177,319 denied claims
Select Health of South Carolina: 51,650 denied of 141,484 (36.5%)
51,650 denied claims
What this shows Denied-claim count is a volume rank. It is not a restatement of the rate ranking.
Select Health of South Carolina reports the highest marketplace denial rate in South Carolina at 36.5% on 141,484 received claims. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina reports the most denied claims (2,095,964) at 17.3% - a different rank, not a second reading of the same list.
5 insurers reporting marketplace claims in South Carolina
| # | Insurer | Claims | Denied | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Select Health of South Carolina F | 141,484 | 51,650 | |
| 2 | UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina, Inc. F | 605,443 | 177,319 | |
| 3 | Molina Healthcare of South Carolina, Inc D | 1,138,255 | 256,367 | |
| 4 | Absolute Total Care, Inc B | 9,103,191 | 1,605,146 | |
| 5 | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina B | 12,121,048 | 2,095,964 |
Among carriers with enough reported claims to compare, South Carolina's highest marketplace denial rates in this dataset belong to Select Health of South Carolina (36.5%), UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina, Inc. (29.3%), and Molina Healthcare of South Carolina, Inc (22.5%).
The reported-claims sample is highly concentrated: the 3 largest insurers account for 97% of the 23,109,421 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 South Carolina: 1,215 of 2,902 reported appeals overturned
42 appeals overturned (%)
Molina Healthcare of South Carolina, Inc: 243 of 422 reported appeals overturned
58 appeals overturned (%)
UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina, Inc.: 125 of 403 reported appeals overturned
31 appeals overturned (%)
What this shows Across the 3 carriers with at least 100 reported appeals in South Carolina, 42.5% of reported appeals were overturned (1,583 of 3,727). This filing field describes reported outcomes, not the likelihood that an individual claim will change.
2019: $1116 average expenditure
$1,116 avg expenditure
2020: $1116 average expenditure
$1,116 avg expenditure
2021: $1138 average expenditure
$1,138 avg expenditure
2022: $1205 average expenditure
$1,205 avg expenditure
2023: $1367 average expenditure
$1,367 avg expenditure
What this shows South Carolina drivers' average auto cost rose 22% between 2019 and 2023.
Year over year, South Carolina's average auto expenditure rose 13.5% from 2022 to 2023, part of a 22% increase (+$251) since 2019. See the full 5-year state-by-state comparison.
South Carolina auto rates in detail →South Carolina: $1367/yr average auto expenditure (this state)
$1,367 avg expenditure
Texas: $1429/yr average auto expenditure
$1,429 avg expenditure
Connecticut: $1394/yr average auto expenditure
$1,394 avg expenditure
Arizona: $1344/yr average auto expenditure
$1,344 avg expenditure
Massachusetts: $1326/yr average auto expenditure
$1,326 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 97% of the 23,109,421 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
South Carolina's reporting insurers denied 18.1% of submitted marketplace claims, ranking 22nd 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
South Carolina's 2023 average auto expenditure was $1367, 15th of 51 jurisdictions by cost and 14.8% above the national average. The figure reflects the coverage mix recorded by NAIC, not an individual driver's quote.
State insurance rules
South Carolina 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. South Carolina'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, South Carolina's closest peers in PlainInsurer's dataset are Arizona ($1344/yr) and Connecticut ($1394/yr) -- both within a few dollars of South Carolina's own $1367/yr.
Border comparison. South Carolina borders Georgia and North Carolina. South Carolina's auto costs run higher than 1 of them and lower than 1, 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.