State-Subsidized Health Contracts See Lower Costs, Fewer Choices

What would it take to hold health insurance premiums flat for one year — or maybe even a small decrease?

Massachusetts has a glimpse of that with the latest contracts state regulators approved Thursday to provide insurance to low- and moderate-income residents who qualify for Commonwealth Care, the state's subsidized insurance program.

WBUR's Martha Bebinger joined WBUR's Deborah Becker on All Things Considered to explain how those contracts managed to avoid the average 10 percent increases in premiums that many residents have been experiencing.