Description: The Distribution Channels: Part 1 -- Agent Channels provides general information on agent distribution channels covering a high-level perspective of members and the pros and cons to insurers.

Description: The momentum towards value-based care has increased focus on how payers attribute accountability for the cost and quality of member care to providers. The current landscape has a myriad of methodologies and accountable parties. Examine the ideal future state of attribution discussing trade-offs in goals (e.g., population coverage vs. member influence), accountable parties (e.g., should third-party vendors be involved?), and methodologies.

Description: An actuary learns a lot about marketing when he took it on himself to rebrand a consulting service.

Description: Misalignment in value-based care approaches between payers and market segments (Medicare, Medicaid, self-funded employer groups, and commercial insurance) creates significant headwinds and friction for health care providers seeking to succeed in an environment that is moving toward more value-based care models and payment approaches. However, while multi-payer approaches in value-based care are critical to eliminating these misalignments, uptake in such programs has been lagging for a variety of reasons. Hear about lessons learned from a selection of specific multi-payer initiatives to understand what went well and what challenges were encountered in expanding these initiatives more broadly. You should be able to walk away from this session with an appreciation of the potential for multi-payer approaches and the challenges faced in gaining traction with them.

Description: This article highlights the findings of a recent SOA survey on accelerated underwriting (AU) practices, including the amount of AU business ceded, the results of three opinion questions, and an estimate of mortality slippage among AU programs.

Description: The LTC insurance sector faces a crisis of credibility due to recent company failures. Market evidence indicates reduced confidence in the reserve sufficiency of companies with large legacy LTC exposures. Disclosures show the persistence of problematic actuarial and investment return assumptions. Institutional backstops exist but vary by jurisdiction and have elements which can exacerbate rather than ameliorate problems. Fortunately, LTC liabilities accrue over long time periods. An industry supported incentive structure can be conceived that would establish stronger standards and encourage greater reserving in exchange for a more reliable and rational backstop.

Description: The Part D program is funded through a variety of government subsidies and manufacturer discounts. The federal reinsurance, initially designed as protection from catastrophic spending, became a primary source of subsidies for the program. When the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is fully implemented in 2025, the funding of Part D will realign to its original intent.

Description: Milliman surveyed carriers about their recent LTC rate increase experiences. A total of 20 companies participated in the survey, representing 65 percent of LTC premium in the United States. This article highlights some of the findings from this survey, along with additional considerations when pursuing LTC rate increases.

Description: Come discuss how reinsurers can work side by side with insurer to better develop products, and lift in the areas that reinsurers have more experience, help matching products with distributions (or vice versa) and provide advanced technologies associated with tools and software. The speakers will also present Direct to Consumer plan from various points of view, i.e., distributors, carriers, and reinsurers. Some case studies will also be presented where traditional reinsurers and asset-intensive reinsurers helped insurers bring products to life.

Description: What is the value of the health care we pay for? As medical inflation continues to outpace general inflation, this question is more important than ever. As actuaries, we are often called upon to evaluate the value of medical care. Are the ways the value equation is commonly constructed reflective of our aspirations as a society? What gravitational forces do we need to be aware of that perpetuate the status quo, mental biases and methodological pitfalls and how do we actively work to correct for them?