Administration officials claimed credit for the price drop, while health policy experts said it was a reaction to insurers' huge profits following hefty premium increases on plans offered this year. (Photo: Shutterstock)

After two years of double-digit price hikes, the average premium for individual health coverage on the federal health law's insurance marketplace will drop by 1.5 percent for 2019, the Trump administration said Thursday.

The announcement marked the first time average premiums have fallen since the exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act went into effect in 2014.

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