During a recent lunch with an industry professional, we both spoke wistfully about the good ol' days when agents and brokers actually sold products and services based on need. I'm sure if an industry newcomer heard us, they'd roll their eyes at us old farts.

But think about it. When the ACA was being hotly debated, there was a very strong sense that ye olde agent and broker weren't important to the process. Just go to healthcare.gov and sign up. Easy!

Now, we all know that was ignorant, and the president himself has said as much in recent months. I wonder how people who pass laws that impact our lives didn't realize how important we are to the process. They don't buy insurance like the real world. What do they know? Fair enough, but I think it's more than that. I think it's because somewhere along the way, we became order takers.