Description: "Direct medical costs for cancer care topped $209 billion nationally in 2020, accounting for a significant proportion of all health care expenditures in the U.S. Indirect costs are also significant, encompassing loss of productivity, wages, leisure time and decreased quality of life. The way cancer programs deliver and are reimbursed for care is rapidly changing. As the cost of cancer care continues to rise, several new value-based care programs - both public and private - have attempted to curb these rising costs. Learn about the current landscape of VBC oncology programs, several key challenges and opportunities with oncology analytics, as well as anticipated evolution of cancer care in the near future. Topics include: Current VBC oncology landscape, including a more detailed discussion on CMS' latest oncology program, Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) Discussion on current challenges and opportunities with oncology analytics, including some advanced methodologies that have been developed based on documented clinical pathways to better understand cost drivers Future state of oncology care including emerging pharmaceuticals and novel therapies, personalized care regimens, and other clinical innovations"

Description: The strategic plan of the Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute includes several important research goals. One goal is to support emerging issues and topics in established practice areas and encourage the development of research projects that have a strong impact on the actuarial profession. The primary purpose is to select and fund high-quality research projects that directly educate members on applicable topics. Additionally, the SOA Research Institute desires to develop additional intellectual capital that serves the interest of the public and the profession’s stakeholders. The Research Executive Committee (REC) of the SOA Research Institute oversees the funding of the Emerging Issues Pool. This key source of research funding is used to sponsor projects that are beneficial to the entire profession, across practice area boundaries that may require funding levels beyond the normal annual funding budgets of research committees and sections. The REC is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to fulfill the strategic goals of the organization through the use of this pool for funding new projects.

Description: Actuarial weather extremes, November 2020

Description: Crop insurance plays an important role in mitigating food production disasters and keeping a robust food production system in the United States. Crop insurance increases stability in food and fiber production, smoothing variability which would otherwise occur because of weather patterns and changes in international trade regulations and markets. Stability increases the ability of farmers to make long-term investments that increase production efficiency and keep productive land in agriculture.

Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a wide-ranging impact in areas of interest to practicing actuaries. Correlations exist between the pandemic and many topics varying across a range of practice areas. The SOA Catastrophe & Climate Strategic Research Program Steering Committee has sponsored these visualizations exploring the correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and a theme of choice of the individual contributing authors.

Description: A multiyear trend of increasing climate condition measurements from the United States and Canada continues, reaching a new high in winter 2019–20, the latest Actuaries Climate Index quarterly data release shows. The Actuaries Climate Index’s key metric of a seasonal five-year moving average presents a composite measure of long-term changes across an array of observed weather extremes and sea levels in the two countries.

Description: This report highlights major weather stories that unfolded across the month of September 2020.

Description: Professionalism did not start with COVID-19, but it has brought many new situations to our attention.Professionalism is more than just adhering to rules and regulations and it is complex. As an actuary, you need toconstruct your own “moral compass” and be prepared to make the tough personal and work-related decisions asthey arise. While difficult decisions may not be a common occurrence during your careers, your moral compass willmake it possible to act with confidence when something needs to be done. Finally, while the actuarial profession hascodes of conduct, it is ultimately your personal conduct that determines your reputation as a professional

Description: The Society of Actuaries Catastrophe/Climate Strategic Research Program engaged Risk & Regulatory Consulting LLC (“RRC”, “we”, “our”, or “the researchers”) to conduct research on the projected changes in insurability and affordability of insurance coverages due to climate change.

Description: This report was developed by the CESRC as an update of one Rob Erhardt prepared in 2016 that compiled a collection of sources that deal with what scientists know and what actuaries could do. Sources have been chosen with practicing actuaries and the public in mind. In the original report, nearly all governmental sources come from the United States. In the update an attempt was made to include sources from actuarial bodies and regulators worldwide. Please let us know if you have a source we did not include as it is anticipated that the SOA will continue to update a list of sources for these topics in the future.