Description: Future mortality improvement has been a common assumption in life insurance and annuity pricing and forecasting for many years. However, experience over the last decade suggests this might be an assumption that merits reconsideration in the United States. This article will take a closer look at factors that impact mortality improvement trends and discuss why insurers may want to reevaluate product designs to better manage the associated mortality risk. We then introduce a product idea with this in mind, where premiums are based on a life expectancy index and insurers share the risk (and opportunity) or mortality improvement with policyholders.

Description: The Actuary Vol. 22, No. 3. This editorial discusses the impact of the AIDS epidemic on financial security programs and what to do about it.

Description: ACA risk adjustment is intended to "bridge the gap" between allowed rates and actuarial rates. If risk adjustment methodology is not bridging that gap & becomes an additional input to pricing formulae, it is not serving its intended purpose.

Description: In this session, the latest research from the Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute examining the impact of COVID-19 on mortality is highlighted. Included will be insights into how the life insured population is faring during COVID-19. Among the studies presented is an effort underway to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the individual life insurance industry’s mortality experience. Additionally, the SOA Research Institute surveyed insurers to gather a high-level view of U.S. group term life insurance mortality results during the COVID-19 pandemic and comparing them to pre-pandemic mortality levels. By attending this session, you will:•Understand SOA Research Institute activities on COVID-19's influence on mortality•Apply research results and insights presented in daily work.

Description: The presenters will explore the current state of the North American mortality baseline and long-term improvement assumptions and determine what we can learn from the UK's approach. They will share research done by the Society of Actuaries and other organizations to describe how to build a better model, plus show the impact socio-economics and other factors have on longevity expectations. The presenters will offer suggestions for how U.S. and Canadian pension plan and insurance actuaries--and the industry itself--can best use this research to develop a better model for the risk management of pension plans and group annuities

Description: This article details different methods for calculating mortality impact associated with new underwriting programs. A common simplified calculation is compared and contrasted with two first principles approaches. The strengths and weaknesses of both approaches are discussed.

Description: The most recent U.S. population data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and from the U.S. Census at year-end 2021 includes the first ten months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. While we know the pandemic has had significant impacts on both the U.S. population and insured population mortality, we also see increased mortality due to many other non-COVID causes of death. Where are the biggest changes and what does this non-COVID excess mortality mean over the next few years? Take part as an expert panel hosts an interactive discussion to examine data from general population as well as from both individual life and group life experience studies to explore how these changes might spur innovation in underwriting, assumption setting and pricing.

Description: The Group Life COVID-19 Mortality Survey gathers a high-level view of U.S. Group Term Life Insurance mortality results during the COVID-19 pandemic through June 2023, as compared to prior period baseline mortality results. This new report is an update to the survey report released in May 2023, which contained data through December 2022.

Description: Are you searching for an overview of the SOA Research Institute's Mortality & Longevity Strategic Research Program? Join us for an introduction into studies focusing on the historical U.S. population and insured mortality trends. Two research projects are observed in this webcast, one examining the impact of COVID-19 on mental illness and the impact of mental illness on U.S. Mortality & Longevity. The second study looks into the Group Life COVID-19 Mortality Survey and the high level view of U.S. group term life insurance mortality results during the pandemic. Come explore the research goals and the future for the Mortality & Longevity Strategic Program.

Description: The Life Practice Area seeks input on strategic issues including the timeliness of experience reports, the increasing levels of regulation, defending risk classification, ant the viability of the actuarial profession.