Digital Insurance Inc. partnered with Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield to provide small businesses in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York with online access to Empire health insurance policies and purchasing information.

Digital Insurance Inc. partnered with New York's Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and California's Health Net and PacifiCare, to provide small businesses in California, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey with online access to health insurance policies and purchasing information.

Empire, with 4.3 million indemnity and managed care customers, is the largest health insurer in New York state. Health Net serves more than 2.3 million members in California, while PacifiCare has 2.6 million. Digital Insurance, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., provides online health insurance options to small businesses, the self-employed, and individual customers.

According to Digital spokesperson John Short, small businesses can compare small-group policies, obtain advice and rate quotes, research small-group insurance, and ask questions via Web chat directly through Digital's Web site. Employers can then purchase a small group policy by calling the company's customer service center, which is staffed with licensed health insurance professionals.

"Small businesses deserve access to the same quality products that larger companies have," says Tom Usilton, former president and CEO of Digital Insurance.

According to the National Federation of Independent Business, only about half of United States companies with two to 50 employees offer medical benefits to workers.