Washington lobbyists like to tout, especially about getting favored bills passed. Unfortunately, the current Congress has an abysmal record of actually enacting legislation. As far as insurance-related legislation, this Congress will probably end up passing only a few bills this year.

There is an assumption that Congress never passes much legislation in election years. That maxim will be put to the test again in 2014.

Almost two years overdue, the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) finally issued on Dec. 12 the report that it was required to produce under the Dodd-Frank Act on how to modernize and improve the system of insurance regulation in the United States.

FIO's report is contrary to Congress' determination that the states are the regulators of the business of insurance, not the federal government

FIO's report is contrary to Congress' determination that the states are the regulators of the business of insurance, not the federal government

More questions have been raised against NAIC and its role in the marketplace. Is the timing more than coincidence?

More questions have been raised against NAIC and its role in the marketplace. Is the timing more than coincidence?

A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that the state insurance regulatory system helped mitigate the negative effects of the 2007-09 financial crisis on the insurance industry. GAO also found that state insurance regulators continued efforts to strengthen the insurance regulatory system.