Newscast: Thursday, November 29, 2012, 7:34 a.m.

According to a new report, private health insurance premiums are increasing, on average, by roughly 7 percent this year. State officials say it’s unlikely that the rate will go down, unless comprehensive payment reform plans are put into place. The Federal Emergency Management Agency determined this week that the state hospital in Waterbury was damaged but not destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene. That’s a setback for the Shumlin administration. It means the state does not qualify for 90 percent federal funding to replace the facility.