Media Contact: Erin Klug Public Information Officer (602) 912-8456

For Immediate Release May 16, 2003

If you are shopping for insurance or are an insurance policyholder, you will want to visit the updated Department of Insurance website at its new address, www.id.state.az.us. In addition, insurance- related businesses in Arizona will want to bookmark the site to stay on top of regulatory news and requirements.

The updates include substantial enhancements to the website, which initially was launched in 1996. This second generation website was developed and implemented entirely by Department personnel. The site contains many new features and is organized by constituent-specific portals accessible from the home page. There is an extensive new page dedicated to insurance consumers, featuring more links and publications, organized by type of insurance for easy research. Separate pages for insurers and producers, offer quick links to forms, fees, surveys, reporting requirements. To improve navigation, the site now sports more menus, a site map, and a site search engine.

“Our website has evolved into an integral part of our operations, including consumer information, public records, and licensee services,” said Charles Cohen, Director of Insurance. “With easily identifiable portals on the home page, visitors can now quickly link to information that will be most relevant to their needs. We added a “producer look-up” feature and a subscription service that will increase public access to Department information and reduce expenses for the Department.”

A key new feature is the “producer look-up” capability. Previously, if an insurance shopper or an insurer wanted to determine whether someone was licensed to transact insurance business in Arizona, they would have had to call the Department. Each month, our Consumer Affairs and Licensing areas received hundreds of calls asking for verification of producer licensure. Now, the Department’s customers can determine whether a person is licensed in good standing, for what lines of business and for how long, with the click of a mouse. The Department plans to continue expanding the public records accessible via its website.

Another exciting feature of the improved website is an on-line subscription service. Visitors can sign up to automatically receive electronic versions of our press releases, regulatory bulletins and our quarterly newsletter designed to keep the insurance industry and public officials informed about regulatory issues. This e-service will reduce our costs for printing, paper, postage and staff time and allow us to reach more people with pertinent, timely information.

The following are the most popular pages on the site, having experienced the most activity since we launched the improved site:

•  Home page which contains announcements about current events, links to our news and bulletins and our new or popular consumer publications.

•  Department of Insurance Annual Report

•  Medicare Supplement Insurance Premium Comparison publication

•  Producers pages, including licensing forms and fees

•  Consumers page

•  Insurers page

•  Employment opportunities page

•  Consumer publications page

  Since its inception in January, the Department’s updated website has been viewed more than 120,000 times. The Department has received welcome feedback from visitors who’ve said the website is more user-friendly, full of useful information and easier to navigate and search. Check it out for yourself: www.id.state.az.us.