Description: Using data from the Health & Retirement Study [HRS], a two-part medical claim prediction model is estimated for a cohort of survey respondents approaching Medicare-eligibility age. A High Deductible Health Plan [HDHP] with a companion Health Savings Account [HSA] is applied to simulated claims streams to model the build-up of HSA assets over the near-retirement years. Results show that the HSA is a grossly inadequate savings vehicle to provide for retiree medical care expenses at age 65. Moreover, HSA adequacy worsens exponentially with diminishing health status. Based on this simulation, it is apparent that Baby Boomers cannot adequately provide for the costs of medical care in retirement using HSAs exclusively.

Description: A discussion about regulators, lawmakers, actuaries and insurers working together to keep health insurance costs affordable to the consumer but also profitable enough for insurers to continue to offer the product.

Description: This discussion looks at Group Accident and Sickness Insurance and asks the following questions: What loss ratios are expected during 1960 and 1961 under newly determined premium rates for basic medical care, supplementary major medical and comprehensive major medical insurance coverages? What are the design trends under comprehensive major medical insurance coverages? From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1960, Vol. 12, No. 34.

Description: Adding value in the development, production and marketing process of medical devises regulatory environment, designer/manufacturer perspective, product failure and litigation risk. Issue No. 44.

Description: This is a discussion about group life and health insurance. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1963, Vol. 15 Pt. 2

Description: This note compares hospital utilization and average daily hospital costs for persons aged 65 and over as indicated by 1968 data under Medicare's Hospital Insurance Program and from the American Hospital Association.

Description: This is a review of the publication entitled 'Medicare: Health Insurance for the Aged, 1969: Geographic Indices of Reimbursement by State and County.' It is of value to health actuaries because it contains information as to the variation in health insurance claim costs by geographical areas within the United States.

Description: This a book review of 'Synthetic State Estimates of Disability Derived from the National Health Survey' by the National Center for Health Statistics. This paper arose in response to the increasing demand for health statistics on the state level.

Description: The impact of Medicare on retiree medical. Issue No. 44.

Description: This paper is a primer for actuaries with limited experience in accessing and using public data sets. From Small Talk Newsletter, November 2005, Issue No. 25.