Shaping health care and financial services regulatory reform legislation to the interests of their members will keep property and casualty insurance lobbyists busy throughout 2010.

While battles over health care reform got most of the headlines here this month, Congress tackled a host of other issues of keen interest to property and casualty insurers and producers.

Insurance agents and brokers should focus on the medical loss ratio in the healthcare reform legislation because it will determine their future commissions, a healthcare law and policy expert says.

Proposed cuts in the crop insurance program are sending alarms through the insurance industry for both underwriters and agents.

A new study by the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office almost doubles its earlier estimate of the reduction in cost of medical liability insurance through a common package of tort reforms.

Lapse of the estate tax has many concerned with inheritance issues, including how it will affect small businesses, which is of special concern to independent agents, noted one major producer association.

In a historic Christmas Eve vote, the Senate passed healthcare reform legislation setting the stage for intense negotiations between the House and Senate, but insurance industry officials feel there is much to be concerned about.

Insurance industry officials say they are encouraged by the Senate Banking Committee's leadership that work is progressing on bipartisan financial services reform legislation, and the committee hopes to resolve remaining issues before January.