Four insurance trade groups have drafted a letter urging lawmakers to give state regulators the job of setting rules governing health insurance administrative costs and sale of health policies through exchanges.

The head of a House committee said he will hold a hearing to probe allegations that Federal Reserve Bank of New York officials told American International Group not to disclose information about bailout arrangements.

House Democrats are insisting that final health care delivery reform legislation include a provision repealing the antitrust exemption afforded to healthcare and medical liability insurers.

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., both key allies of the insurance industry in Congress, have announced their retirement.

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.