DENVER (AP) — A major deadline looms Friday for states to comply with the new health care law. Colorado’s an early achiever and doesn’t have to worry about the deadline.

The federal government set a Friday deadline for states to notify Washington if they will set up their own insurance exchanges under the federal health care law.

Colorado has already moved ahead setting up an exchange, which is a private marketplace for shopping for health insurance.

Colorado is one of six states that was given “conditional approval” by the federal Department of Health and Human Services for their self-designed exchanges. The approval came Monday.

Exchanges are the gateway to the new health care law for individuals and families who buy their own health insurance, as well as for small businesses.

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