Description: Updates on HPC activities, including new work groups for providing input to key players as health care reform moves on from the legislative phase into the regulatory phase, as well as ongoing activities of existing workgroups in financial reporting, long term care, stop loss, disease management, Medicare SUpplement, sovency, cancer claims experience, and risk adjustment.

Description: Update from the Health Section Council Chairperson on council activities.

Description: A summary from the annual ILTCI conference including session content from seven tracks focusing on unique issues and solutions in long term care.

Description: This research report is sponsored by The Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries on the Canadian health care system. Performed by Stéphane Levert, FSA, FCIA, the study (available in French and English) estimated the future costs of the Canadian health care system, assessed the sustainability of the system over a 25-year horizon, and analyzed the implications of the changes to the Canada Health Transfer proposed on Dec. 19, 2011 by the federal government. The report summarizing the findings indicates that, without significant government intervention, the Canadian health care system in its current form is not sustainable.

Description: On October 19, 2011, the Social Insurance & Public Finance [SIPF] Section sponsored a session at the Society of Actuaries Annual Meeting in Chicago on the impacts of the federal health legislation called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act [PPACA]. This article summarizes the more salient comments of the panelists at that session.

Description: This article discusses a study of the impact of the drug infliximab on Crohn's disease patients. This study had been approved in response to an SOA request for proposals for research on the health cost and utilization effects of a specific prescription drug.

Description: Summary of results of a 2010 Health Section survey of actuaries and Medicare population, on ways to bend the cost trend curve downward. Issues included transparency, quality measures, fraud and abuse, provider payment, malpractice, medical errors, consumer education, and the pros and cons of employer-sponsored coverage.

Description: The purpose of this SOA-sponsored research was to assemble and analyze a limited large claims database which may serve as a model for expanded inter-company studies of health care benefits in the future. From Group Medical Insurance Large Claims Database Collection and Analysis, M-HB97-1.

Description: Presented at June 2010 Health Meeting. Discusses Section research projects, professional development programs, member survey results, member value task force project, 'Bending the Cost Curve' presentation on ways to reduce healthcare cost trends and create a sustainable healthcare system, and market research results on opportunities for actuaries.

Description: Chapter 1 presents the background to the current study, followed by the methodology used, and a summary of the findings of the study. From Group Medical Insurance Large Claims Database Collection and Analysis, M-HB97-1.