(MCT) — WASHINGTON — As officials in Republican-led states come to grips with the fact that the Affordable Care Act is here to stay, the Obama administration continues to give states more time to decide how they will implement the new health care law.

States planning to run their own health insurance “exchanges” — Internet marketplaces where individuals can shop, compare and purchase private health insurance or, if eligible, enroll in public Medicaid — were supposed to notify the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services of their plans by Friday.