The New York State of Health exchange lacks many of the features that other public Obamacare marketplaces, including Healthcare.gov, have added to make it easier for users to compare plans, according to a report released Tuesday by the Clear Choices Campaign, an advocacy group that seeks greater transparency in health care quality and pricing. Rather than just allowing users to compare premiums, for instance, some exchanges include tools that let users calculate their out-of-pocket costs and search for plans that cover their preferred drugs and providers. The scorecard accompanying the report gave New York an F in several categories. Although the pending repeal of the Affordable Care Act introduces uncertainty into the future of the Obamacare exchanges, a less standardized health insurance marketplace could increase the need for such comparison-shopping tools, said Joel White, president of the Clear Choices Campaign. White is also founder and president of the health care lobbying firm Horizon Government Affairs.

Jeffrey R. Ungvary President