As a sibling comment points out, the value of ACA plans may vary quite a bit from state to state. I don't know how it is elsewhere, but here in Colorado the major insurance companies only provide a special, lousy version of their product on the marketplace. It's not uncommon to find health providers that claim to take Anthem or Cigna insurance, for example, only to show up and be told that "Anthem Pathway" and "Cigna Connect" don't count. Astonishingly, they don't seem to be willing to sell regular plans to individuals for any amount of money. (Source: self-employed.)
That's common in the small-group market too: the insurers have a network they advertise, and then smaller subset networks they offer for a lower price. So, I know it's true that you have to be careful not to accidentally subscribe for the small-network version. It's definitely not the case in Illinois that the large-network plans aren't available on the exchange; they are. Couldn't tell you about California or New York, though.
