Description: Presenters discuss the differences between patient treatment protocols and length-of-stay guidelines, and some of the issues that payers confronted as the protocols were implemented. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 24, No. 2.

Description: Panelists discuss employers' perspective of defining strategies to identify best-in-market opportunities. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 24, No. 1.

Description: Panel discussion of prospects for cost containment of, and alternatives to, fee-for-service health care, and management of health care under national health insurance. Discussion points include cost containment devices, HMOs, economic impact, cost escalation, self-insurance, stop-loss, claims administration, loss of state premium taxes, and Phase 3 tax problems under NH1.

Description: This article presents a view of health care as an economic system, suggests a framework for classifying current criticisms of the system, and offers references for further reading.

Description: This actuarial memorandum represents the first, formal actuarial opinion regarding the reasonableness of the premium estimates the Clinton Administration presented with its proposed Health Security Act. The memorandum presents the assumptions and methods used to develop an average 1994 premium estimate for the standard benefit package.

Description: Overview of the book: Overtreated, Why Too Much Medicine Is Making Us Sicker and Poorer.

Description: A proposal to address provider payment issues by gradually moving to accountable care organizations. Capitations would be risk-adjusted, non-capitated costs would be covered by hospitalization fund and stoploss, incentives for quality & effective preventive care would be tied to the amount remaining in the fund, and government involvement would be through incentives rather than mandate.

Description: Realizing the impact of medical errors on the U.S. health care system, the Health Section commissioned a research project to measure the annual frequency of medical errors and their total measurable direct and indirect cost to the economy.

Description: An examination of the underlying reasons for the concept of health expectancy, some alternative approaches to developing the measurement and some of the powerful uses of this new tool.

Description: Report on the proceedings of the 2010 Long Term Care Think Tank Session, whose goals were to discuss the major issues and challenges facing the LTC insurance industry, and to formulate action items and initiatives to help the industry move ahead. Focus was on understanding the needs & affordability capabilities of different market segments, the limited variety of product designs, shrinking distribution force, regulation and public policy, implications of the CLASS Act, and ideas for educating consumers and marketing products.