Description: This is the How Amending Old Age Security Would improve the State of Canadian Women Living in the Alone Stage of Retirement paper authored by Lori J. Curtis and Douglas W. Andrews for Session 5B of the January 13-15, 2020 Living to 100 Symposium in Orlando, Florida.

Description: Suicide is one of the ten leading causes of death in the United States and the only one of those causes that is trending in the wrong direction over the last 15 years. This article examines several aspects of suicide in the United States with a focus on its impact on the insurance industry. The findings were compiled from publicly available data through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from internal RGA data, and also from interviews with topic experts. The article highlights the difference in suicide rates between the general population and the insured population, the proportion of claims from suicide, the spike in suicide rates at the end of the contestability (or exemption period), and current thoughts from counseling experts on prevention. It also demonstrates an increase in suicide rates during times of economic turmoil.

Description: This article provides a perspective on the SOA’s Aging and Retirement research reports, and on the types of research that are included. The SOA does a lot of research on different retirement topics, and many people are not aware of the scope of this work. This article offers an overview of the big picture as we think about the future. The article describes longer-term challenges to the US retirement system and recent developments that have affected the system and created uncertainty. It provides an overview of what individuals have said about retirement and their view of post-retirement risks and planning in a variety of consumer research studies. It then reviews some of the research and provides information on summary reports which provide insight on the findings from multiple related research reports. It also provides information about consumer education and what is currently available and in process. It then focuses on how the SOA is helping retirement professionals understand current and expected change and discusses areas of uncertainty as we help those we serve deal with change.

Description: The article provides a summary of key issues presented at the 2023 U.S. Living to 100 Symposium focused on the interests of retirement professionals and retirees. It provides an overview of the subjects covered. The discussion focused on the well-being of retirees and the development of the retirement system. It is focused on late-in-life issues and having the best life possible during that period. It balances technical and lifestyle issues, with an emphasis on mortality and longevity trends and influences. Some of the topics discussed include the impact of COVID, climate, housing, and age-friendly communities. The Elder Tech Symposium was merged into Living to 100 and includes discussion of a variety of technology approaches to improve lives and simplify support. The symposium recognized that the decisions needed and concerns during retirement are different later in life, particularly as people decline.

Description: Some seniors may find it challenging to manage frequent doctor visits. Telemedicine can significantly fill in some of these gaps by enabling “virtual” doctor visits. Telemedicine improves access to medical care, reduces the need for transportation, reduces wait times, protects the health of individuals who won’t be exposed to germs of others in a waiting room, and improves access to care from a healthcare professional who may be far away from the patient and more. Implications for telemedicine in charged amounts (in various insurances) are being worked out and continue to evolve.

Description: This is a paper from the session on Retirement Factors and Stages at the January 15-18, 2023, 2023 Living to 100 Symposium in Orlando, Florida.

Description: Whether focused on mortality, longevity, health or disability risks, biometric uncertainty is the foundation of our work. With a long history of processes and methods for analyzing biometric considerations, we run the risk of becoming stagnant in our thinking about the subject. The presenters will explore how companies can stay ahead of the curve in an environment of ever-changing medical and biometric influencers. They'll dig into cause of death trends, the obesity epidemic, genetic testing, wearables, other wellness tools and more. The presenters will also address the impact of changing risk assessment methods through predictive underwriting. This session is for anyone interested in staying at the forefront of biometric risk.

Description: Demographers have typically viewed mortality trends from historical and cross-national perspectives, looking at commonalities in the evolution of mortality. In general, with improving economic conditions mortality has tended to decline and life expectancies to rise. The epidemiological transition from a mortality pattern dominated by infectious diseases to one in which more endogenous causes of death predominate is a central theme.

Description: This article contains material excerpted from a speech given on June 17, 1997 by Tom Kelly, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of LIMRA International, at a LOMA/LIMRA Strategic Issues Conference in Singapore. The article includes demographic and economic data for various countries to illustrate the potential for growth in various Asian markets.

Description: This is the How Amending Old Age Security Would improve the State of Canadian Women Living in the Alone Stage of Retirement abstract authored by Lori J. Curtis and Douglas W. Andrews for Session 5B of the January 13-15, 2020 Living to 100 Symposium in Orlando, Florida.