The board overseeing California’s efforts to establish an insurance marketplace for providing affordable health care approved its operational blueprint Wednesday, an essential step toward meeting a key deadline under the federal health care reform law. The governor’s office is expected to forward the plan to the Obama administration. ”We don’t need more time,” said Peter Lee, the board’s executive director. “We’ve been working feverishly over the past year, we’re excited about going forward, and that blueprint is a big deal.” The action by the California Health Benefit Exchange board, which changed its name last month to Covered California, kicks off a sprint toward the Jan. 1, 2014, deadline for states to have health insurance exchanges up and running according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News.