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A surge in health insurer competition appears to be helping restrain premium increases in hundreds of counties next year, with prices dropping in many places where newcomers are offering the least expensive plans, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis of federal premium records. KHN looked at premiums for the lowest-cost silver plan for a 40-year-old in 34 states where the federal government is running marketplaces for people who do not get coverage through their employers. Consumers have until Feb. 15 to enroll for coverage in 2015, the marketplace’s second year. (Rau and Appleby, 12/1)

After two years of vilifying the federal health overhaul and the state's health insurance exchange, Minnesota Republicans face Democratic opposition in the Senate and governor's office that will scale back their hopes for a wholesale makeover. Fresh off winning back the state House, Republicans are mapping out their plans to tweak MNsure in 2015. For now, they're leaving everything on the table: from altering its board to giving lawmakers budgetary control of the independent entity. (Potter, 11/27)

California's health exchange is leaning on insurance agents to enroll thousands of people in Obamacare coverage. Trouble is, some agents haven't been paid for months. In some cases, agents are owed thousands of dollars in commissions for getting folks signed up earlier this year. And they said they still face long waits on the phone to get simple issues resolved for customers. Their experiences could sap much of the enthusiasm among Covered California's most effective sales force. (Terhune, 11/26)