Premiums on health plans offered through the federal and state Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) insurance marketplaces rose 8 percent last year, according to a report put out by the Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday.

That means the average policyholder's premium rose from $356 a month to $386 a month. But after the subsidies that are available to 85 percent of buyers were taken into account, the average policyholder's monthly bill increased less than 4 percent, from $102 to $106.

Supporters of the health law have cited the fact that 40 percent of returning PPACA customers changed plans during the most recent open enrollment period, taking advantage of the easily-navigable system to switch to a plan based on price and services.

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