Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced that more states are on track to implement the health care law and establish health insurance marketplaces, or exchanges, in their states. 

California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Vermont and Utah have been conditionally approved on Thursday to operate state-based exchanges under the terms of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and Arkansas is conditionally approved to operate a state partnership exchange. HHS is also providing more guidance Thursday to states on marketplaces that will be operated in partnership with the federal government.

Thursday’s conditional approvals follow those issued previously granted to Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington to operate state-based exchanges, and to Delaware to operate a state partnership exchange. To date, 20 states including Washington, D.C. have been conditionally approved to partially or fully run their marketplaces, with the remaining states having until February 15, 2013 to apply for a state partnership exchange. 

“States across the country are working to implement the health care law and build a marketplace that works for their residents,” Secretary Sebelius said in a press release. “In 10 months, consumers in all 50 states will have access to a new marketplace where they will be able to easily purchase affordable, high quality health insurance plans, and today’s guidance will provide the information states need to guide their continued work.”