State profile · TN · CMS + NAIC
Tennessee marketplace insurers denied 22.8% of claims (5th of 30 states); drivers average $1050/yr for auto cover, #34 nationally by cost.
The verdict
Marketplace insurers in Tennessee deny 22.8% of claims - above the 20% national average, the 5th-highest of 30 states, and drivers pay an average $1050 a year for auto cover, less than the $1191 national average (the 34th-most-expensive of 51 states).
Oscar Insurance Company: 28.0% denied (251,752 of 898,028)
28 % of claims denied
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee: 26.8% denied (1,976,181 of 7,365,517)
27 % of claims denied
UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company: 26.7% denied (693,284 of 2,595,620)
27 % of claims denied
Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company: 22.2% denied (1,077,410 of 4,843,786)
22 % of claims denied
Celtic Insurance Company: 18.7% denied (1,914,504 of 10,214,665)
19 % of claims denied
What this shows These carriers deny the largest share of marketplace claims filed in Tennessee. Denial rates reflect plan design and network rules as much as carrier behaviour.
5 insurers reporting marketplace claims in Tennessee
| # | Insurer | Claims | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Insurance Company F | 898,028 | |
| 2 | BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee D | 7,365,517 | |
| 3 | UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company F | 2,595,620 | |
| 4 | Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company D | 4,843,786 | |
| 5 | Celtic Insurance Company C | 10,214,665 |
Among carriers with enough reported claims to compare, Tennessee's highest marketplace denial rates in this dataset belong to Oscar Insurance Company (28.0%), BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (26.8%), and UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company (26.7%). 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 87% of the 25,917,616 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: 3,657 of 9,553 reported appeals overturned
38 appeals overturned (%)
UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company: 470 of 1,483 reported appeals overturned
32 appeals overturned (%)
Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company: 380 of 720 reported appeals overturned
53 appeals overturned (%)
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee: 264 of 587 reported appeals overturned
45 appeals overturned (%)
What this shows Across the 4 carriers with at least 100 reported appeals in Tennessee, 38.7% of reported appeals were overturned (4,771 of 12,343). This filing field describes reported outcomes, not the likelihood that an individual claim will change.
2019: $865 average expenditure
$865 avg expenditure
2020: $856 average expenditure
$856 avg expenditure
2021: $870 average expenditure
$870 avg expenditure
2022: $924 average expenditure
$924 avg expenditure
2023: $1050 average expenditure
$1,050 avg expenditure
What this shows Tennessee drivers' average auto cost rose 21% between 2019 and 2023.
Year over year, Tennessee's average auto expenditure rose 13.6% from 2022 to 2023, part of a 21% increase (+$185) since 2019. See the full 5-year state-by-state comparison.
Tennessee auto rates in detail →Tennessee: $1050/yr average auto expenditure (this state)
$1,050 avg expenditure
West Virginia: $1063/yr average auto expenditure
$1,063 avg expenditure
Arkansas: $1051/yr average auto expenditure
$1,051 avg expenditure
Kentucky: $1046/yr average auto expenditure
$1,046 avg expenditure
New Hampshire: $987/yr average auto expenditure
$987 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 87% of the 25,917,616 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
Tennessee's reporting insurers denied 22.8% of submitted marketplace claims, ranking 5th 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
Tennessee's 2023 average auto expenditure was $1050, 34th of 51 jurisdictions by cost and 11.8% below the national average. The figure reflects the coverage mix recorded by NAIC, not an individual driver's quote.
State insurance rules
Tennessee 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. Tennessee'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, Tennessee's closest peers in PlainInsurer's dataset are Arkansas ($1051/yr) and Kentucky ($1046/yr) -- both within a few dollars of Tennessee's own $1050/yr.
Border comparison. Tennessee borders Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, and Virginia. Tennessee's auto costs run higher than 6 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.