CHICAGO – Illinois has received conditional federal approval for its plan to help run an online marketplace where thousands of state residents will shop for health insurance beginning Oct. 1 – a big step toward carrying out the national health law in the state.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued an approval letter Wednesday to Gov. Pat Quinn that lays out six conditions, some with deadlines, which the state must meet. The letter was released to The Associated Press by Quinn's office.

The milestone was celebrated with a press conference featuring Sebelius and Quinn at a Chicago medical clinic, where an uninsured woman spoke about her hopes for affordable insurance.