Description: This paper discusses the quality of healthcare verses the price of healthcare and puruses individuals and doctors making decisions for their own healthcare costs and services.

Description: In the course of consulting engagements, actuaries almost always find they need one or more of the following resources: -Healthcare data, which may be at the individual patient level or on a particular population. -Health services research studies which describe, summarize, try to alter, or predict patients’ use of health resources. -Health policy information, which describe public or private actions which affect the access, cost and quality of medical care. This document describes the ever-changing resources and specifies where they may be obtained.

Description: Who Is to Blame for Cost Increases? by Dinkar Koppikar from Health Section News, October 2004, Issue No. 48.

Description: The author discusses the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 GINA and its ultimate effect on the long-term care industry in general, and on current and future insureds, specifically.

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: This article focuses on the capitation rate development methodology for the Medicare-Medicaid Financial Alignment Demonstration. It also describes the background behind the establishment of the initiative and how it will be evaluated.

Description: Diagnostic coding in dental is in its infancy. This article explores the use of medical diagnostic coding and how it may transform dental care in various ways.

Description: Collective Health plan sponsors found that concierge services and enhanced digital tools produced lower trend by helping members navigate more intelligently.

Description: Presented at June 2010 Health Meeting. Discusses Section research projects, professional development programs, member survey results, member value task force project, 'Bending the Cost Curve' presentation on ways to reduce healthcare cost trends and create a sustainable healthcare system, and market research results on opportunities for actuaries.

Description: Panelists discuss the ongoing influence and long-term implications of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act on the health insurance market in the U.S. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 24, No. 3.