Among the many problems with this research and analysis, the most unlikely thing is that the Connector Authority, the Exchange, acted in anyway to hold down premium increases. Most importantly, less than 100,000 of us -- out of 6,500,000 -- are covered by insurance bought through the exchange. Most of that is subsidized Commonwealth Care insurance and would not be covered in the research given the methodology described. It is also questionable whether the 44,000 of us covered through full-price Commonwealth Choice insurance are included in the research given the methodology description. Secondly, we know that those few of us that have paid for insurance through these years have faced high double digit increases. (Do not be fooled by the Patrick propaganda that he has held down base rate increases to single digits the last few years. The only person in Massachusetts that received only a single-digit premium increase for 2011 or 2012 through Exchange regulated insurance was the one that miraculously lived but whose age did not change. Now that would be great health care.)

That's an average annual increase of 5.76%...while high, that's an improvement. I wonder what the increase was towards the last half. IE, was the first few years at 8% and the last few years at 3%? If you get below 4% you're inline with the overall economy's growth in MA.