Description: This article from major US payers describes palliative care as a scaleable means of improving quality and reducing costs during serious and complex illness.

Description: Health Watch Newsletter, May 2006, Issue No. 52. This article presents information from a recently completed client-sponsored survey of hospital contracting best practices. Individual health plans were evaluated using a structured survey document. The primary objective of the survey was to identify best practices that the client sponsor could implement to improve its already better-than-average hospital contracting practices

Description: In the face of declining response rates from direct mail campaigns, the author suggests use of the internet to generate leads will be much more efficient and successful.

Description: Appendix to the Critical Review of Stochastic Simulation Literature and Applications for Health Actuaries. The Development of a Simulation Model of Primary Prevention Strategies for Coronary Heart Disease

Description: LTCi rate increases are large and becoming larger. As more and more policyholders cannot afford the cumulative impact, they need some relief - like access to the large contract reserve they have funded for the benefits they can no longer afford.

Description: This article discusses the comparative results from the SOA Mortality Table Structure survey. From Reinsurance Section News, November 2007, Issue No. 61.

Description: The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 established the nationwide expansion of a Long–Term-Care Partnership program into which any state can choose to participate. This article describes that program and what it means for a person insured under a qualifying long-term-care insurance policy.

Description: Following recent SOA Research, we look at how climate scenarios will affect Long Term Care assumptions and business.