https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtnEmPXEpr0
saw this on a comment from another board.. worth a watch.
“Jonathan Gruber, ACA architect, on video, at the 31:30 minute mark, stating for the public to know that without a State exchange, there are no subsidies”
My understanding is this was a feature not a bug to incentivize states to set up the exchanges. In other words, it was intentional.