Premium rate reviews saved $1 billion for consumers, HHS says

The health law mandated that state regulators review health insurance increases of 10 percent or more.

Politico Pro: HHS: Consumers Saved $1B From Negotiated Premiums
Insurance regulators knocked $1 billion off consumers' 2013 health premiums by negotiating lower rates than carriers initially proposed, according to a report released Friday by HHS. Premium rate reviews, which occurred in many states before Obamacare, are now mandatory for proposed increases of 10 percent or more. Regulators around the country are negotiating with insurers over their proposed 2015 rates (Norman, 9/19).

In a look at the process in Connecticut -

CT Mirror: Why Some Obamacare Insurance Discounts Could Drop In 2015
Costs to buy coverage through Connecticut's health insurance exchange won't, on average, rise much next year. For some plans, the prices are dropping. But some customers who get financial aid to buy their insurance could see price increases beyond the rise in sticker price if they stick with their current plans, according to an analysis by consultants for the exchange, Access Health CT (Levin Becker, 9/19).