Description: The editors of Health Watch have made health care reform the focus of the Sepctember 2009 issue, and provide an introduction to the issue's contents.

Description: Mental health spending has reached $147 billion in the United States with demand only increasing greatly impacting society as nearly 1 in 5 experience these issues. There are even more indirect costs associated with mental health causing a national crisis surpassing 1 percent of the GDP. These costs coupled with the severe lack of licensed clinicians calls for an innovative solution. Through years of development and completion of a randomized controlled trial, Prevail has built and validated a low-cost, scalable solution. Prevail's clinically proven digital mental health treatment provides increased access to care while reducing overall health costs. Private and public payors should being reimbursing this model and offering it to their members.

Description: The article discusses the sustainability of the ACA individual market from a public entitlement standpoint. A key point of measuring sustainability is the reliance on market forces rather than federal budget constraints. The article explains why an actuarial viewpoint of sustainability is necessary to a greater extent than other public assistance and social insurance programs. The article challenges actuaries to be a bold, objective voice in a space that is full of opinionated but often uninformed viewpoints.

Description: Describes benefits of updating homes for aging in place. Calls for stakeholders coalition of: building & tech sectors, LTCI, homecare, health insurance & care.

Description: In this interview Dr. Reinhardt shares his thoughts on the role he believes actuaries should take in the health care system reforms.

Description: Essay offers a vision of health care where everyone is covered, everyone is eligible, receives fair pricing, receives vital information and is taxed the same.

Description: Recently completed experience studies and research studies from the SOA.

Description: Discussion of LTC insurance product developments being spurred by recent demographic and regulatory trends, especially combination products such as LTC benefits with disability income, annuities, and life insurance. Several viable product styles are considered, along with the pros and cons of each.

Description: The recent outbreak of the Zika virus (ZIKV) in Brazil and in at least 29 other countries and territories is a stark reminder of the risks associated with new, emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. This article is intended to provide essential background information on the Zika virus in order to assist insurers’ understanding and risk assessment of the situation. Insurers must continually stay abreast of these risks and rapidly assess the potential impact on morbidity and mortality – often with only preliminary scientific or actuarial data

Description: A follow-up to the 2012 article “A Global Perspective of the Health Insurance Market” about teaching a course at the Columbia University Masters in Actuarial Science program. The course provided an overview of the health care insurance industry.