As three major insurance companies reduce their presence in the Affordable Care Act individual marketplace, a lack of choice for customers is becoming a major concern.

A new analysis of the individual marketplace by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that in 31 percent of U.S. counties, only one carrier will be operating next year. In another 31 percent of counties, only two will be offering plans.

The irony is that the lack of competition within the ACA marketplace appears to be driven at least in part by a legal battle the Obama administration is waging to prevent two major insurance mergers that it contends would harm competition.

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