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Healthcare Emerging Trends Survey Report

Background and Purpose

Health actuaries have access to a wide range of quantitative sources and analytical tools that measure historical healthcare cost trends. These include consultant studies, data aggregators and other market resources that summarize historical experience across lines of business and service categories. While these resources remain valuable, there is an opportunity for the Society of Actuaries Research Institute (SOA) to contribute a complementary perspective of emerging health care cost trends based on the views of actuaries practicing in the health field.

Research Objective

The SOA is seeking proposals from researchers to help gather, analyze, and synthesize data on emerging health care cost trends from the health actuarial industry. A key goal of this project is to establish a framework that can be repeated annually. The selected researcher will help the SOA design a survey and process that can be refreshed each year.

The selected researcher will work with the SOA and a volunteer project oversight group appointed by the SOA to develop survey questions and develop a process for analyzing, summarizing, and synthesizing results into a report that discusses the extent to which emerging trends vary across major market segments or service categories, where feasible. The report is also expected to include a literature review or background section summarizing the current state of historical healthcare cost trends.

The survey is intended to identify the most impactful trends that:

  • affected healthcare costs observed during the past year, and
  • respondents anticipate will shape healthcare costs in the upcoming years.

The SOA anticipates the following timeline for key project milestones:

  • Gather survey responses during October – November 2026,
  • Draft analysis and report November 2026 – January 2027,
  • Project oversight group acceptance of the substantive report content approximately January 2027,
  • Publication approximately February 2027.

Proposal Requirements

Proposals should provide the following information:

  1. Resumes of the researcher(s) indicating how their background, education and experience bear on their qualifications to undertake the research. If more than one researcher is involved, a single individual should be designated as the lead researcher and primary contact. The person submitting the proposal must be authorized to speak on behalf of all the researchers as well as for the firm or institution on whose behalf the proposal is submitted.
  2. An outline of the approach to be used, including a description of the expected deliverables and how the proposer would collaborate with the SOA to develop survey questions, segment the target audience, analyze responses, synthesize findings, and prepare the report.
  3. Cost estimates for the research, including collaborative survey design, analysis, report preparation, literature review, project management and any other related costs. Such estimates can be in the form of hourly rates, but in such cases, time estimates should also be included. Any guarantees as to total cost should be given and will be considered in the evaluation of the proposal. While cost will be a factor in the evaluation of the proposal, it will not necessarily be the decisive factor.
  4. A schedule for completion of the research, identifying key dates or time frames for delivery of preliminary results and reports.
  5. Suggestions in the proposal for ensuring timely delivery, such as fee adjustments, are encouraged.
  6. Other related factors that give evidence of a proposer's capabilities to perform in a superior fashion should be detailed, especially prior experience with recurring surveys, healthcare trend research or actuarial audiences.
  7. Proposals should be limited to 5 pages (excluding the resumes of researchers).

 

Proposals should be submitted to Research-HCCT@soa.org,  by the end of the day on June 1, 2026. Decisions on whether a proposal is chosen will be communicated by June 26, 2026.

 

Selection Process

The HCCT Strategic Research Committee will appoint a project oversight group (POG) to oversee the project. The POG is responsible for recommending the proposal to be funded. Input from other knowledgeable individuals also may be sought, but the HCCT will make the final recommendation, subject to Society of Actuaries Research Institute leadership approval. An SOA staff research actuary will provide staff actuarial support.

Questions

Any questions regarding this RFP should be directed to Research-HCCT@soa.org.

Conditions

The selection of a proposal is conditioned upon and not considered final until a Letter of Agreement is executed by both the Society of Actuaries Research Institute and the researcher.

The Society of Actuaries Research Institute reserves the right to not award a contract for this research. Reasons for not awarding a contract could include, but are not limited to, a lack of acceptable proposals or a finding that insufficient funds are available. The Society of Actuaries Research Institute also reserves the right to redirect the project as is deemed advisable.

The Society of Actuaries Research Institute plans to hold the copyright to the research and to publish the results with appropriate credit given to the researcher(s).

The Society of Actuaries Research Institute may choose to seek public exposure or media attention for this research. By submitting a proposal, you agree to cooperate with the Society of Actuaries in publicizing or promoting the research and responding to media requests.

The Society of Actuaries Research Institute may also choose to market and promote the research to members, candidates and other interested parties. You agree to perform promotional communication requested by the Society of Actuaries Research Institute, which may include, but is not limited to, leading a webcast on the research, presenting the research at an SOA meeting, and/or writing an article on the research for an SOA newsletter.

Conflict of Interest

You agree to disclose any of your material business, financial and organizational interests and affiliations which are or may be construed to be reasonably related to the interest, activities and programs of the Society of Actuaries Research Institute.