Utah got a failing grade today for helping consumers compare the quality of insurance companies. But state officials are crying foul.

Charles Sherrill explains from our Washington bureau.

If you're in a serious automobile accident or your house burns down, how can you be sure your insurance will deliver on its promise to pay the loss?

Robert Hunter, Insurance Director of the Consumer Federation of America says, "If you have to wait to actually file a claim it's often too late to find out you've made a mistake by who you've chosen as your insurance company."

One way to know if you can count on your company is to look at the complaints filed against it by other policy holders.

That's what the Consumer Federation of American tried to do by asking state insurance regulators for the complaint data on automobile, homeowners, health and life insurance carriers.

Hunter says, "If a state had information for all of those lines, all four, we gave them an a grade in this test."

Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Oregon, Texas and Wisconsin all earned A's.

Hunter says, "If they did not cover any lines or did not respond they received an F."

Utah earned an F even though the insurance department's web site displays complaint data for homeowners and automobile insurance as state law requires.

Complaint records on life and health insurance are not shown.

"Consumers should demand this information from their state insurance departments and from the N.A.I.C.," Hunter says.

NAIC is the National Association of Insurance Commissioners which collects complaint data but doesn't release it.

"You have to wonder why companies don't want this out. And, ah, but it's pretty clear that they've put pressure on not to have it out."

The N.A.I.C. released a written statement late today saying their database provides an incomplete picture of complaints against companies because there is no uniform reporting method. They say it would be unfair to release it.

Utah insurance officials say they do disclose what's required by law and cannot recall receiving a request for any information from the Consumer Federation.