CHICAGO – Illinois is ahead of some states but behind others on the path toward a working health insurance exchange, a cornerstone of President Barack Obama's health care law.

Obama's home state plans to partner with the federal government to run a health insurance exchange in the first year, for coverage starting in 2014. State officials plan to submit a blueprint for that partnership to the federal government Friday.

An exchange is an online marketplace where consumers and small businesses can shop for health insurance.