Average Obamacare premium increase estimated at 7.5 percent

The estimate was part of an analysis done by the Health Research Institute at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Meanwhile, a separate analysis, this one by Citigroup, offers details regarding what California consumers can expect regarding premiums for coverage purchased through the state's exchange.

The Hill: Obamacare Premiums Slated to Rise By An Average of 7.5 Percent
Premiums on Obamacare's health insurance exchanges will rise by an average of 7.5 percent next year, according to a new analysis. Data compiled by the Health Research Institute (HRI) at PricewaterhouseCoopers found modest changes in premiums for 27 states and the District of Columbia, with the increases mostly falling short of dire predictions for Obamacare's second year. The average national increase of 7.5 percent is "well below the double-digit increases many feared," HRI Managing Director Ceci Connolly wrote in an email (Viebeck, 8/11).

Los Angeles Times: Kaiser Cuts Obamacare Rates 1.4% For 2015; Anthem Hikes Rates 4.6%
Health care giant Kaiser Permanente is lowering its rates for Obamacare coverage in California by 1.4 percent next year, according to an industry report. California's health insurance exchange recently announced that premiums were rising 4.2 percent, on average, statewide for 2015 policies. A new analysis by Citigroup health care analyst Carl McDonald offers new details on what consumers can expect by company (Terhune, 8/11).

In addition, news outlets track developments regarding Colorado's online insurance marketplace and new research from the Urban Institute regarding the overhaul's Medicaid expansion --

Health News Colorado: Health Exchange Under Pressure To Find New CEO, Improve Performance In Year Two
Patty Fontneau was all smiles Monday at her final board meeting as executive director and CEO of the state's health exchange organization, Connect for Health Colorado. The board met in executive session before the open meeting to discuss the process for replacing Fontneau, who is joining Cigna as president of its private exchange business. An interim director will be announced "shortly," Board Chair Sharon O'Hara said, and negotiations are under way to contract with an executive recruitment firm to search for a more permanent replacement (Carman, 8/11).

The Washington Post's Wonkblog: Another Argument Against The Medicaid Expansion Just Got Weaker
We learned late last week that the decision by 24 states to reject Obamacare's Medicaid expansion comes as a startling cost -- $423.6 billion in lost federal funds from 2013 to 2022, according to researchers at the Urban Institute. So how are states justifying their decisions to leave that much federal money on the table? One of their main arguments is that the federal government will eventually renege on its generous funding commitment to the Medicaid expansion. But based on the 49-year history of the Medicaid program, that claim doesn't hold up, according to Urban Institute researchers in a finding that hasn't received as much attention (Millman, 8/11).