State regulators hope in addition to enjoying the new look of the Maryland Insurance Administration’s webpage, agents and brokers also find the updated website easier to use.

The ongoing redesign of the MIA’s site is part of a statewide initiative seeking consistency across all state agencies, according to the department’s director of public affairs, Karen Barrow.

“The agency’s goal with its website is to continue to enhance the experience and the opportunities for the users – the licensees and the public,” Barrow told IFAwebnews.com. “Licensees should be able to interact with the agency easily and consumers should find helpful materials about insurance while being able to get their concerns addressed. These recent changes and the agency’s ongoing efforts all contribute to that goal.”

Under the “Producer” tab, the MIA has tried to streamline how agents and brokers access materials related to their insurance license, with rules and instruction broken down to simple documents no more than a few pages and concise instructions for use, Barrow said.

A new section for license candidates takes them directly to the vendor that handles pre-licensing and exams, and, Barrow said, producers in special lines of business, including public adjusters and surplus lines brokers, should have an easier time locating the materials that pertain to their areas of expertise.

“It is much more ‘one stop shopping,’” she said. “This format will be easier to maintain so the agency will be more able to timely respond to licensee needs, issues and questions. As we get user feedback, we hope to continue to add and update content that assists producers and others in interacting with our agency.”

Barrow said the redesign to the MIA web site was completed by in-house staff and resources, thus saving an added expense to the state agency.

This story originally appeared in the August 2009 print edition of Insurance & Financial Advisor.