Description: The Canadian public health care delivery system continues to experience growing needs for increased funding. The total health care delivery system today costs Canadians $98 billion a year or about 9.7 percent of GDP. Of that total cost, 71 percent is paid by the government, which means the taxpayers. While that may pale in comparison to the costs in the U.S., it does make the Canadian system one of the five most expensive health care delivery systems in the world. While today’s cost pressures are of major concern, of even more concern are the costs being projected by many participants in the current health care debate for the period when the Baby Boom makes higher demands on the Canadian health care delivery system. Traditional projection methods, however, do not differentiate between the elderly who survive the year versus those who die as to their use of health care systems. This paper first looks at the impact that this differentiation could have on projected costs. Second, the paper looks at the impact that the wide use of Advance Directives [also called Living Wills] might have on future health care costs and some of the issues surrounding their use. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 2004, Vol. 1.

Description: This session discussed Managing The Delivery Of Health Care To Control Medical Costs. Includes organizational & marketing strategies, rate strategies, selection issues, plan design, and regulation. Record of Society of Actuaries 1983 Vol. 9, No. 4

Description: This presentation is an open forum from the 1991 Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held June 3-5 in Colorado Springs. The panelists debate on who should pay for medical care for the uninsured, and how it should be financed. The debaters represent advocates of private, voluntary, and cooperative private state solutions and state or government intervention to finance health care for the uninsured. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 3B.

Description: This session is about the impact of health-care reform on supplemental health insurance plans such as Medicare Supplement, Hospital, Cancer, etc. The session will also explore new opportunities for supplementary markets and products. Included is a discussion of the CHAMPUS and FEHBP. From Record of Society of Actuaries Vol. 19, No. 4B.

Description: David Dranove, the Walter McNerney Distinguished Professor of Health Industry Management at Northwestern University, Kellogg’s Graduate School of Management speaks on the topic, “From Marcus Welby to Managed Care.” From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 27, No. 1, Session 18

Description: Article from The Actuary, March 1983, volume no. 17, issue no. 3, that discusses rising health care costs and the challenge it is to actuaries to study the numerous causes and to devise practical means for modifying their effects.

Description: Essay discussing cost, quality and access of healthcare and then describes the need for rationing.

Description: This session discussion gives an update on topics of concern including AIDS, Organ transplants/mechanical implants, and medical breakthroughs and technology. From Record of the Society of Actuaries 1987 Vol. 13, No. 1.

Description: This study used commercial data held by the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) and Medicare fee-for-service data to analyze health care cost differences by age and their contribution to overall health care cost change. The commercial data includes claims from 2002 through 2010 and the Medicare data includes claims from 2006 through 2010.

Description: Discussion of steps that can be taken to control costs and future plan design changes. Part 2 of a 2 part series. Issue No. 48.