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What most upsets consumers about their insurance companies?There may be different answers in different states, but now we knowhow consumers feel in one state in particular.

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That is because the Missouri Department of Insurance recentlyreleased a summary of the complaints it received from consumersabout their insurers or insurance policies.

Agent investigations a top concern

Health insurance generated the most complaints in the first halfof 2017 with 701 formal complaints, followed by agentinvestigations with 489. Missourians complained most about claimdenials and claim delays.

The department's consumer complaint team also answered nearly10,000 phone calls, handled 1,400 inquiries and assisted with 2,000complaints in the first half of the year from consumers across theShow-Me State. The top categories of complaints were:

Missourians can use the consumer complaint index as a toolwhen choosing an insurer. The department recently released theindex, which presents data on complaints against insurancecompanies received by the department between 2014 and2016.

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The index includes data for seven lines of businessincluding private passenger automobile, life and annuity, accidentand health, long-term care, Medicare supplement, HMOs, andhomeowners, including farm, mobile home, personal fire, and alliedlines.

Companies with a complaint index of 100% or more showed that thedepartment received more complaints than the industry average forthat company. Companies with a complaint index of less than 100%had fewer complaints filed against them than the industry averageand companies with a complaint index of 100% were on par with theindustry average.

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Steven A. Meyerowitz, Esq., is the directorof FC&S Legal, the editor-in-chief of the InsuranceCoverage Law Report, and the founder and president of MeyerowitzCommunications Inc. Email him at [email protected].