On July 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services unveiled a new website, HealthCare.gov , to provide consumers with information on their rights and benefits under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  The site offers data on U.S. insurance carriers and the products they offer and includes a timeline of when new programs under the new law will begin between now and 2014.

The centerpiece of HealthCare.gov is an interactive “insurance finder” that allows for comparison shopping among insurance options for both the individual and small-employer health insurance markets.  Price estimates for health insurance plans will be made available in October, and other additions and upgrades are also planned.