More than 30 states that defaulted to the federal government to run their health insurance markets under President Barack Obama's health care law must decide if they want to take a crack at it themselves. Time is running out with hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money at stake.

Obama's home state of Illinois would seem like the best bet to be the home of the next state-run exchange.

But the law's disastrous rollout and lingering unpopularity make the decision difficult for state lawmakers, who would need to pass legislation for Illinois to qualify for crucial federal funding. That's a tough road politically, even in a state controlled by Democrats.

The law intended each state to run its own marketplace, but just 16 states and Washington, D.C., did so.