You are right that the situation for the first woman is better overall.

I think the point of the article is that for those who were previously insured who are moving to exchanges may find that the benefit design is very different than their old coverage. In order to keep premiums low, insurers are keeping closed formularies and a very limited list of covered medicines.

I think this is one of those "buy beware" stories. Make sure you know what you're paying for.