Description: There is some reason to believe that the trend of life companies entering the A & S business will continue. Both the public and the government are becoming increasingly aware of the need and desirability for the widest possible coverage against the loss of income because of disability and against the cost of medical care. This should lead to an expansion of the market for A & S insurance which should attract still other companies to the field in the future. Followed by several discussion papers submitted

Description: This discussion on major medical expense insurance examines the trends in the types of plans sold, popularity of the comprehensive type of medical expense insurance plan, special problems, and dependent coverage. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1959, Vol. 11, No. 29 AB.

Description: This study was sponsored by the Society of Actuaries Health Section. This paper explores the relative significance of aging as a determinant of financial cost of health care beyond age 50, with particular attention to the effect for ages 65 and older. The paper presents concepts of aging factors and aging curves, which define relative values between ages for utilization or cost of health care services. General conclusions are drawn from Medicare data that utilization and cost differ by age, but that aging factors vary across services and may be less significant at very old ages. The author then turns to the question of measuring the significance of an aging curve assumption and what accuracy is lost in the simpler alternative of a single value across an age range.

Description: Paper summarizes articles on quality care issues including - measurement & reporting, financing, patient safety, standards & education, and leadership.

Description: News release on Health Care Costs Institute and it's mission to promote research on the causes of rising U.S health spending.

Description: This is an article that highlights recommended reading by the Health Practice area communications committee. The readings cover a broad subject matter from risk assessment, medical technology to uninsured.

Description: This SOA report describes the components of margin for calculating capitation rates in a Medicaid context along with practical issues that MCOs may face.

Description: This web page contains links to the following articles of interest to actuaries: 1. A July 9, 2011 New York Times editorial about recent studies suggesting that antidepressants aren’t effective after all, and 2. A March 10, 2011 Time Magazine article by Joel Stein titled, 'Data Mining: How Companies Now Know Everything About You.'

Description: This paper presents a surplus-ratio goal that is appropriate for group accident and health insurance and discusses growth, the sources of gains and losses, ways to improve operating gain and tracking results against expectations. A discussion of the paper follows. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1977, Vol. 29.

Description: Editor letter detailing article and encouraging authorship.