First 6 state health exchanges approved

(Bloomberg) — Six U.S. states became the first to meet Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act rules for the creation of marketplaces by 2014 where local residents can buy medical insurance.

Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Oregon and Washington have made enough progress building their health-insurance exchanges to receive conditional approval to begin enrolling members in October 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services said this week in a statement. The six represent less than half of the 14 states that have told the government they will set up the online exchanges.

A majority of states, most led by Republican governors, may allow the federal government to run the markets or choose to provide services such as consumer assistance in a partnership with the federal government. Twenty-two governors have already sent notice that they won’t build their own exchanges. The remaining states have until Friday to decide.