President Obama signed a patent reform bill with a provision that will help prevent “frivolous” lawsuits that increase costs for consumers, a national insurance association says.

The National Flood Insurance Program, set to expire Sept. 30, could be extended to Nov. 18 with anticipated congressional action, according to an industry trade group.

The Obama Administration, not Congress, could dramatically affect insurance and its regulation in 2011, according to a panel of industry expert.

The U.S. Senate voted down a proposal to renew the National Flood Insurance Program, meaning people seeking to close on properties in flood zones cannot move forward.

A series of proposed new regulations in Massachusetts, calling for greater consumer protections in the auto insurance marketplace, are both ‘unnecessary and ill-advised,” according to an industry group.

New York Insurance Department Superintendent James J. Wrynn is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the New York Insurance Association’s 2010 annual conference.

With Congress reconvened, eight national organizations, including representatives from the insurance industry, are asking lawmakers to aid millions by reauthorizing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

The brain drain in the insurance industry is continuing, as a new survey shows company executives fear their ability to replace experienced underwriters who retire.

For the third time in the last few months, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has expired, with legislators in Washington, D.C., unable to reach a compromise on long-term expansion of the initiative for now.

While the U.S. House and Senate agree that the National Flood Insurance Program should be extended, how to achieve that goal and for how long seem to be areas of disagreement in Washington, D.C.