Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Thursday announced that more states are moving forward to implement the health care law and establishing Health Insurance Marketplaces.  

HHS conditionally approved Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, and West Virginia to operate state partnership marketplaces, which will be ready for open enrollment in October 2013.

“HHS will continue to work collaboratively with all states to build the marketplace,” Secretary Sebelius said. “Working together, we will be ready in seven months when consumers will be able to use the new marketplace to easily purchase quality, affordable health insurance plans.”

Thursday’s conditional approvals bring the total number of states that have been conditionally approved to partially or fully run their marketplace to 24 states and the District of Columbia.  

In addition, several other states have suggested their own approaches to contributing toward plan management in their marketplace in 2014.  

HHS will continue to provide all states with the flexibility, resources, and time needed to support the establishment of the new health insurance marketplace.

Consumers in every state will soon be able to buy insurance from qualified health plans directly through a marketplace and may be eligible for premium tax credits and cost sharing assistance to help lower their costs.  

These health plans will ensure consumers have the same kinds of valuable insurance choices as members of Congress, and cannot be denied coverage because of a preexisting condition.     

For more information on the new health insurance marketplace, visit www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/ .