Description: Our society has made promises with respect to retirement, care of the aging baby boom generation, and debt repayment that in total cannot be met. We will need to break some of these promises.

Description: At the beginning of this year, Representative Dave Camp (R-MI) retired from the House of Representatives after 12 terms, the last two terms serving as Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means. Chairman Camp has played a central role in the national conversation on tax reform, primarily through a series of discussion drafts addressing international tax reform, financial products tax reform, small business tax reform and, most recently, a comprehensive tax reform discussion draft that we explored in a special edition of TAXING TIMES last fall. Kristin Norberg, TAXING TIMES editor, recently sat down with Chairman Camp to talk about his career in the House, the development of the Tax Reform Act of 2014, and some of its potential impacts on the insurance industry.

Description: This session discussion is about two proposals for health-care reform will be presented, one from the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association and one from the Council for Affordable Health Care. These dramatically different proposals will be compared and open for critique. From Record of Society of Actuaries Vol. 18, No. 4A.

Description: The letter from the president details recent developments and plans to increase the Society of Actuaries’ role in the arena of public policy research.

Description: An interview with Jennifer Gillespie, chairperson of SOA Public Policy Strategy Task Force.

Description: An overview of reinsurance training class provided to the Bermuda Monetary Authority (Authority) and Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (Central Bank) covering all aspects of reinsurance. Article also provides an overview of initiatives that the two regulators (Authority and Central Bank) are involved with.

Description: A Mexican actuary discusses his career, the challenges of different insurance markets in different cultures, the value of sharing knowledge across countries and across professions, and the latest public policy regarding solvency models.

Description: This article is the second in a two part series that summarizes a longer paper that can be downloaded from the website of the Social Insurance and Public Finance Section. Both articles take the form of a point-counterpoint dialogue addressing important aspects of social insurance programs. The first part discussed their nature, desirability and advantages, as well as whether they can form a framework to achieve sustainable inter-generational equity. This article focuses on whether pre-funding of a social insurance program can occur and can contribute to the financial security of the participants. Fundamental differences of opinion exist regarding these programs, not only due to different personal and political values, but also as a result of the viewpoint taken (for example, assessment of the program in isolation, consideration of the sponsoring government's financial situation, or the overall national economy).

Description: Social Security poses a substantial financing challenge for the future, largely due to demographic changes. This article explores the reasons behind this issue and possible changes that will be needed in the future.