Description: This is a letter from the editor. This issue completes his first year as editor.

Description: Discusses creating a user-friendly [and bullet-proof] spreadsheet.

Description: This article is about the critical role of actuaries in IT projects.

Description: Article describing new and interesting computer programs.

Description: In this article, the author describes how to get data into and out of R.

Description: Letter from the new chairman of the Technology Section Council introducing the new council members.

Description: Feature article discussing the latest computer programs.

Description: David Januszewski looks at the the development of open source software in statistics. By comparing the virtues between SAS, the proprietary software and R, the open source software used by statisticians, he thinks that open source software "can and does coexist with the proprietary software" and "both have a purpose. "He further looks at the availability of the open source software in the actuarial profession and does not see "open source software sweeping across actuarial science like it has with other fields". Dave explains the possible uses and virtues of the open source software to actuaries and asserts that it may be beneficial that the open source is used together with the propriety software.

Description: Identifying and submitting all appropriate ICD-9 diagnosis codes to CMS will result in a higher risk score for the member and increased payments to Medicare Advantage plans. Milliman's HCC prevalence study illustrates the significant variations in HCC prevalence rates by age/gender, geography, and population type and will assist plans in benchmarking the effectiveness of their own diagnosis code capture efforts.

Description: Help readers to focus on self wisdom.