The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services might end up operating its federal health insurance exchange in more states than expected, including ones that already received conditional approval to implement their own state-run version, reported Reuters. The problem is the fast approaching deadline that states must meet, said Gary Cohen, director of HHS's Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight. "I'm absolutely confident that every state will have an exchange that will be functioning and ready" by the Oct. 1 deadline, he told reporters. If states can't launch their own marketplace, HHS will step in and run the federal exchange. "The biggest challenges are for states that started later. Obviously, they have less time," he added, while declining to disclose which states might not be ready on time. "(But) there will be an exchange of one kind or another in every state." Article