The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation just launched the website after state lawmakers approved its creation last year. It allows the state’s small business-owners to look at premiums and benefits offered in the state. Insurance Office Regulation spokesman Bob Lotane says small businesses can also get sample monthly costs for employee health insurance.

“It’s a lot easier to get information about what’s in a Chevy car than there is about what’s in your health plan or your hospital billings. And so it’s commonly agreed that information easily available to consumers and to all stakeholders is going to be necessary to really make the system work better.”

The state’s Insurance Commissioner, Kevin McCarty, says healthcare needs to be more accessible and affordable -- and this effort is a step towards making it more transparent.

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The state of Florida has just kicked off a new website that it says is a fast and easy way to help small business owners find affordable health plans. The state Office of Insurance Regulation says the site lets employers view insurance rates for standard, basic and high deductible plans. Insurance Office spokesman Bob Lotane says the site makes healthcare more accessible.

“Instead of you having to go to agents or onto different company websites to find out about plans that are available and what’s in them and what does it all mean, we want to put it on to a one-stop shop where people can go in and get it a lot easier and make it more transparent.”