What's important

To self-proclaimed humanitarians, apparently looking good--at the cost of denying people health care;

In an unusual decision that had a strong impact on consumer choices, New York required insurers to offer the same type of coverage on the exchange as off.

The result was that none of New York’s insurers offered out-of-network coverage for individuals, except in a small part of western New York, because they wanted to hold down costs and avoid being swamped by sick people. So regardless of whether individuals buy their plans on the exchange or off, they cannot get coverage outside a fixed network of doctors and hospitals, even if they are willing to pay more for it.

Yes, that's what the NY Times story says, the purpose of Obamacare (for NY staters) is; avoid being swamped by sick people.