Description: This article presents a view of health care as an economic system, suggests a framework for classifying current criticisms of the system, and offers references for further reading.

Description: A report on the findings a committee established by the government of Quebec to evaluate the respective roles of public and private pension plans in providing financial security for the elderly.

Description: A review of the latest of a series of reports from Statistics Canada, covering data from various Canadian social benefits programs for 1971-1977.

Description: Commentary on the Actuarial Profile Survey by the Committee on Planning.

Description: The Committee on Planning has now established a task force to undertake a structured, in-depth study of The Actuary of the Future/The Future of the Actuary. Feedback and input from all SOA members is urged.

Description: This is an article adapted from LIMRA's 'Is There Magic in the Middle Market'? - a survey exploring the financial security needs of the middle market and the need and role of life insurance in meeting those needs.

Description: This essay focuses on elements of success in a system linked to employment.

Description: Income i.e., immediate annuities are insurance products that benefit from mortality pooling, so they can generate the highest level of lifetime “income now” per dollar of retirement assets put to work. Including an income annuity as a portion of a retirement portfolio often results in an immediate increase in the level of income generated by that portfolio while at the same time ensuring that a portion of the total income is payable for a lifetime.

Description: This article provides an overview of the Own Risk and Solvency Assessment (ORSA) model act, and of enterprise risk management (ERM). Compared to other actuarial disciplines, health actuaries have not historically focused as much on ERM. But health coverages do have risks that can threaten an insurer's solvency, and ORSA (now in force in most states) will force health insurers to beef up their ERM capabilities.

Description: Interview with Jack Lay, CFO of Reinsurance Group of America. Mr. Lay will discuss his almost two decades of experience at RGA, offering his opinions on the future of the U.S. and international life reinsurance market.