Description: This is a short version of a memorandum to the Commissioner of Social Security and other government officials addressing misuse of actuarial cost estimates.

Description: Essay recommending establishing a consistent and actuarially sound foundation for assessing the costs and benefits of each and every current and new Medicare or other healthcare proposal.

Description: This meeting session, which occurred at the April 1982 Society of Actuaries meeting in Orlando, presented a discussion of U.S. Social Security issues. Questions discussed included: 1. What is the financial status of the Social Security program? 2. What changes have been recently adopted and what changes have been proposed? 3. How would these changes affect the private pension system costs and plan design? 4. What is the proper role of the actuarial profession regarding the Social Security program? Included discussion of the paper, Constant Replacement Ratios in Retirement: A Theoretical Approach,' by Barnet N. Berin and Anthony B. Richter.

Description: A proposal to reform current health care market, from a 'preferred payer' system, in which Medicare and Medicaid pay less than the true cost while others must then pay more, to a 'value for money' system. This would be achieved by requiring providers to bill all patients the same rate for the same services, with a standard bundling format to make all providers' rate differences transparent. Differences between billed charges and what Medicare pays would be made up by the Medicare patient, rather than subsidized by those outside of Medicare.

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: The Advisory Council to Social Security will soon be replaced by a board to manage a new independent system. This article discusses recent recommendations made by the Council and the role actuaries have played on it.

Description: Mr. Myers tells about his recently ended position as Deputy Commissioner of Social Security for Programs and also his new position as Executive Director of the bi-partisan National Commission on Social Security Reform under President Reagan.

Description: This session discussed about expected trends in medical care costs, changes in Medicare reimbursement practices and their short- and long-term effects, the emerging responsibility for providing long-term care, rise of managed health care, new and old participants, selection issues, multiple options, and small group market.

Description: Budget concerns should not be allowed to override sound actuarial rate development in setting Medicaid capitation rates.