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: Summary of interview with Bob Collett and Fred Kilbourne regarding their work on the Critical Review of the U.S. Actuarial Profession

Description: Article describes several options for limiting increases in health care costs and urges actuarial profession to be more proactive in asdvocating for reform.

Description: Assesses the impact of ACA on public financing of all health and disability benefits - Medicare, Medicaid, Exchanges

Description: Description of Social Security COLA for December 2020 and wage-indexed program parameters for 2021.

Description: This article is a book review of Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism written by Anne Case and Angus Deaton. The book highlights factors that have attributed to the decline in life expectancy in the U.S. over the past two decades. Overall, there has been a significant increase in deaths of despair from drug overdoses, suicides, and alcoholic liver disease that has impacted life expectancy. The review of this book highlights key points and factors in this increase in deaths of despair based on the research of the authors. From an actuarial perspective, this book identifies areas within the U.S. society and economy that would continue this trend and impact future mortality rates and improvement scales.

Description: Compares the healthcare system of the US to the universal systems of selected other countries. Relies primarily on information compiled annually by The Commonwealth Fund. Will give the reader an understanding of the difference between universal healthcare, socialized medicine, and single-payer healthcare and how various national systems fall within these categories.

Description: States can make ACA markets more attractive by enforcing compliance. Unlike other state opportunities, it doesn't cost anything. Pennsylvania made the change this year.

Description: As the topic of affordable long-term care (LTC) insurance comes into focus in political conversations, we often find ourselves thinking, “What is going to happen to the private LTC insurance industry going forward?” The need for LTC in the United States is not going away, especially as the population continues to age. With this in mind, this article explores three possible future paths for LTC insurance funding and the associated implications for the private LTC industry.

Description: A discussion on ASOP 51 and the changes it will create.