Description: There are growing concerns that the Asian bird flu virus will evolve into a form that can be transmitted from human to human, thus unleashing a new global flu pandemic. This article uses the Spanish flu epidemic and the German life insurance portfolio to analyze the additional claims expenditure due to a pandemic.

Description: This article contains a listing of the publications of the National Center for Health Statistics. Copies of any of the listed publications can be obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics, Rockville, Maryland. In ordering, the series number and the number within the series should be given.

Description: Book review of Employee Benefits, written by Burton T. Beam, Jr., and John J. McFadden. Published in 1985 by Richard D. Irwin, Inc. 486 pages plus bibliography and index.

Description: This article summarizes the work of two work groups of the American Academy of Actuaries, one focused on Medical Savings Accounts and one focused on proposed changes to Medicare.

Description: This article reviews the results of the first SOA study of large medical claims, defined as claims greater than $25,000.

Description: The author discusses his presentation at the National Tornado Summit on Midwest climate research and also the intersection of health care utilization and severe weather, including highlights from the forthcoming Actuaries Climate Index.

Description: This is a book review of 'The Rising Cost of Hospital Care' by Martin S. Feldstein, Ph.D. In general, the book proceeds from an analysis of how and how much hospital costs have risen to why they have risen.

Description: This is a table from an article in The Actuary Magazine entitled A Strategic Analysis of the U.S. Life Insurance Industry Part II: Products.