LegendaryWarriorPoet

I'm sorry, but can you give me an explanation as to why this quote (great as it is) makes sense in this context?

Aren't they already able to sell plans across state lines? And how would that increase coverage for poor/sick folks (whom the insurance companies "compete" to not cover)?

Not gonna argue that, but the ACA allowed stars to compact to let companies that were registered w and complying w registered one state's regulations sell to another state and have it count as tho they were registered w that second state. Only a few states took them up on it and it wasn't successful in bringing costs down. Which makes sense because if it made sense for a company to do business in another state, they would already do that (that's why there's blue cross blue shield of California, a separate bcbs for Texas, Illinois, etc.) the whole lines around the states thing is a total red herring (but it plays well to folks who are predisposed to thinking the govt must be regulating poorly and that's the only explanation for why prices are high, not that insurance companies constitute a middleman)