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: Updates on the efforts of the Academy’s health practice council. its work groups and task forces, to educate and influence health care policymakers on issues including principles for health care reform, Medicare, wellness programs, and solvency.

Description: Summarizes four Social Security Administration Notes for 1969 and January 1970.

Description: People often describe the actuarial profession as dealing with risk. That is true, but in the case of life and health actuaries, another element may be even more important. It is the management of liabilities that accrue over time. For example, the liability associated with a group of individual life insureds increases as the group grows older.

Description: If the United States is to have a successful Social Security and Medicare system long term, one that blends needs with financial capacity, it is necessary to protect the actuarial process from being overwhelmed by the political process. While some assistance is provided already under existing law, additional protection would enhance public confidence in the estimates made by government actuaries.

Description: Letter From the Editor summarizing articles in the newsletter.

Description: This article reviews studies find that the mortality gap has significantly reduced – though not eliminated – the overall progressivity of Social Security.

Description: Summary of testimony by an AAA Board member before a congressional subcommittee, as an expert on risk assessment and adjustment, especially in relation to Medicare risk contracting and HMO payments. She recommended: mitigating the geographical region values, credibility weights for payments to health plans, carving out high cost claim segments, reengineering the ACR methodology, shifting AAPCC methodology from fee-for-service toward competitive bidding, and further projects to improve risk methods.

Description: An article from The Actuary that highlights Stephen C. Goss, chief actuary at the Social Security Administration, who was recently awarded the National Academy of Social Insurance's NASI first ever Robert M. Ball Award for outstanding achievements in social insurance. According to NASI, Goss exemplifies 'public service' at its very best. The Actuary asked Goss if he could give a little more of himself and answer some questions about his career, which, of course, he did.

Description: The article notes, as explained in Norman Solomon’s paper, TSA XV, 167, so-called windfall appropriations are required annually to finance dual benefits to which certain railroad workers became eligible under the Railroad Retirement Act in consequence of pre-1975 employment that entitled them to both Railroad Retirement and Social Security benefits. The author then notes that the Office of Management and Budget has arbitrarily reduced revised appropriations, and that “the actuarial profession should take a strong stand against this by-passing of actuarial determinations.”