Description: Exploration of sources of volatility in retiree health valuations, noting how volatility arises and might be mitigated, with discussion of valuation parameters more problematic for retiree health benefits than for pensions. Three significant influences on retiree health valuation volatility are covered-- changes in benefit level, fluctuations in cost level, and alterations in eligibility for, or duration of, benefit – and attention focused on the last two. Specific conclusions result in recommendations, which are supported by practical examples contrasting volatile measurement results with those likely from the recommended practices. Theoretical discussion includes health claim variation, health trend usage, financial economics, option pricing, discount rates, and deterministic vs. stochastic modeling.

Description: The Behavioral Finance subgroup of the Health Section will be publishing a series of literature reviews in Health Watch. This is the first review of three in the series. The reviewed article describes an attempt to place an econometric value on consumers’ preferences between broad and narrow networks.

Description: This paper was prepared to facilitate discussions with the New York State Insurance Department concerning price regulation and the application of minimum loss ratio standards for individual health insurance. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1982, Vol. 34.

Description: A Simplified Method for Calculating Contract Reserves for individual medical insurance. From Health Section News, June 1998, Issue No. 35.

Description: Improving access to health care throughout life by requiring a minimum mandatory paid-up period MMPP. Issue No. 35.

Description: This session addressed the following regarding benefit plan design to control claim costs: What has been tried? What works? and What else can be tried?

Description: Milliman performed an analysis of 894 uses of the checking service on individual medical health insurance applications to gain a better understanding of its protective value. From Health Watch Newsletter, September 2006, Issue No. 53.

Description: The article discusses the sustainability of the ACA individual market from a public entitlement standpoint. A key point of measuring sustainability is the reliance on market forces rather than federal budget constraints. The article explains why an actuarial viewpoint of sustainability is necessary to a greater extent than other public assistance and social insurance programs. The article challenges actuaries to be a bold, objective voice in a space that is full of opinionated but often uninformed viewpoints.

Description: Traditional methods of addressing reserves and liabilities have failed to cope with the problems of escalating claim costs, frequent rate increases, and different opinions as to what liabilities should be recognized. This paper reexamines these issues, discusses shortcomings of current methods and proposes a new approach to the total subject. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1985, Vol. 37.