Description: This session summarizes recent trends in behavioral health parity, pros and cons of parity, the impact of mandated benefits on near-term medical costs and methods to effectively manage mental health utilization. From Record of Society of Actuaries, Vol. 30, No. 1, Session 81

Description: Recap of content contained in the January 2014 issue of the Health Watch newsletter.

Description: The Canadian public health care delivery system continues to experience growing needs for increased funding. The total health care delivery system today costs Canadians $98 billion a year or about 9.7 percent of GDP. Of that total cost, 71 percent is paid by the government, which means the taxpayers. While that may pale in comparison to the costs in the U.S., it does make the Canadian system one of the five most expensive health care delivery systems in the world. While today’s cost pressures are of major concern, of even more concern are the costs being projected by many participants in the current health care debate for the period when the Baby Boom makes higher demands on the Canadian health care delivery system. Traditional projection methods, however, do not differentiate between the elderly who survive the year versus those who die as to their use of health care systems. This paper first looks at the impact that this differentiation could have on projected costs. Second, the paper looks at the impact that the wide use of Advance Directives [also called Living Wills] might have on future health care costs and some of the issues surrounding their use. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 2004, Vol. 1.

Description: Discussion of the impact of the ACA on RBS and required surplus for a health plan

Description: This article examines the costs of mental health parity, presents the primary drivers of cost increases from legislation and shows evidence the initial cost projections were too high. From Health Section News, March 2005, Issue No. 49.

Description: The essay discusses the appropriate role of insurance companies, efficient and economical ways to care for chronic illnesses and having a maximum price society will pay to support the ongoing life of any one individual.

Description: Coverage of Medicaid home and community-based services under the 1915(i) state plan option: Attractive features and important considerations

Description: The Society of Actuaries has developed and released a health care forecast model to illustrate the potential impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on insurance plan health care costs in the United States. Users of the model may include insurance company actuaries seeking an additional reference point for 2021 cost development, regulatory actuaries seeking additional insights and validation of costs as part of rating submissions for 2021, and insurance purchasers seeking a deeper understanding of the forces driving 2021 health care costs and premiums. The model is not intended as a replacement for existing modeling tools developed by insurers or regulators. Rather, the model’s primary purpose is to illustrate the key outbreak-related forces that are affecting the trajectory of health care costs. In addition the model can provide a common reference point to facilitate dialogue with respect to the regulatory review of 2021 health insurance rate filings.

Description: This article reviews the cost of behavioral health care and looks at how the involvement of Primary Care Physicians leads to a less efficient and effective treatment and is an increasing cost many plans have yet to address. From Health Section Newsletter, March 2005, Issue No. 49.

Description: The SOA analyzed Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) claims data from 2009 – 2015 to better understand cost and utilization trends in the commercial health insurance market.