Description: Outline of changes to the Adjust Community Rate ACR Proposal process and Beneficary Information Form, Issue No. 38

Description: Two Medicare risk funding provisions that were radically changed by the BBA of 1997 funding variations by geographic area and risk adjustment. Issue No. 36

Description: Congress has been debating a revision to Medicare Advantage payments including limiting payments to the Medicare Fee-For-Service FFS cost. A county-specific impact study to the benchmark payment rates for each county nationally based on the FFS limitation criteria was performed. This article includes results for Florida, California, Pennsylvania and New York.

Description: Article explores why many integrated delivery systems are struggling and what actions they need to take to succeed.

Description: Provides background about Prescription Drug Plans, PDPs, and the standard benefit package offered under Medicare Part D. It also provides a basic overview of the bid-development process for a PDP and summarizes some general strategies and observations used in developing the 2006 bids that will likely be used for 2007.

Description: This article is about a consumer education program sponsored by the Society of Actuaries Foundation, “On the edge of change: Putting Social Security back in balance” and plans for a similar project dealing with Medicare in the future.

Description: Issue No. 36. Issues relating to Provider Sponsored Organizations PSOs contracting with HCFA to sponsor Medicare + Choice. Article discusses revenue and the addition of non-Medicare covered benefits.

Description: This article discusses the legislative summary of the changes that will occur with the new Medigap policies, which will be effective on or after June 1, 2010. Issue No 60

Description: During the SOA’s recent Living to 100 Symposium, one of the sessions that got me thinking much more deeply about the financing of public retirement plans was titled “Mortality Age Patterns: Trends and Projections.”

Description: This article discusses Medicare cost, specifically the hospital utilization rate and the average daily cost of hospitalization and the effect of Medicare on the great increases in health care costs since 1965.