Description: "Spread pricing is a pricing methodology where pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) bill a payer one price but reimburses the dispensing pharmacy a lower price for the same prescription drug. PBMs have historically relied on spread pricing as a revenue source. However, a growing number of states are introducing and passing legislation prohibiting spread pricing for Medicaid and commercial clients. In addition, new entrants to the PBM and mail-order pharmacy space are disrupting the market by offering services that promote increased transparency and member satisfaction. Expect updates on recent legislative trends and market disruptions targeted towards increasing PBM drug pricing transparency. By attending this session, you will have a better understanding of how changing legislation and market disruptions may impact current pricing methodologies."

Description: Discover an update on recent developments affecting U.S. retirement plans, such as regulatory guidance, new legislative proposals, recent court cases and recent trends. Experienced pension actuaries will share their perspectives on these issues and the impact on plan sponsors.

Description: "Advancing health equity is one of the five strategic objectives outlined in the CMS Innovation Center's strategic objectives for the next ten years and is an increasing area of focus across many states. Focus in on recent developments in addressing Medicaid beneficiary needs related to social determinants of health (SDOH), health-related social needs (HRSN), and health disparities and inequities in Medicaid. Several states have introduced non-traditional benefits into their programs in recent years to address these areas, such as various types of housing supports, nutrition-related benefits, and enhanced/advanced case management support. Expect a discussion on the benefits introduced recently in states such as AZ, CA, MA, NC, and OR, including funding considerations around these benefits as well as the 1115 demonstration waiver authorities granted to these states to allow coverage for these non-traditional health care services.

Description: State regulators continue to focus on the emergence of private equity firms purchasing life insurance companies, supporting reinsurance transactions, and the growing trend in life companies owning more complex assets. Modeling of complex assets is also growing in focus to balance risk and return parameters in forward financial models and asset adequacy testing. Hear from actuaries, regulators and rating agencies as they present the latest developments for the future of the intersection of private equity and life insurance companies and the potential for new regulatory guidance.

Description: Illustration testing can be complicated as the number of in-force illustrations continue to grow. AG 49 and AG 49-A complicate management of policies that have indexed based interest credits. This workshop will encourage discussion of practices and problems faced by companies complying with the Illustration Model Regulations, ASOP 24 and/or AG 49/AG 49-A.

Description: Investigate the concept of value annuities and the potential cost-effective differences when compared to traditional annuities by attending this webcast. Value annuities are an alternative lifetime income solution where longevity and investment risks are born by a pool of annuitants rather than a centralized insurer. Join this webcast for a closer look at the practicalities of designing and administering a value pool. There will also be a focus on the legislative, regulator and supervisory implications.

Description: Gene therapy is a quickly evolving field and will continue to grow as a risk concern for many health plans, stop loss insurers and reinsurers. Currently, there are only two approved gene therapies in the U.S., but that number is expected to escalate starting in the fall of 2022. Revisit the experience plans have had with the first two gene therapies, discuss plan design and network considerations in light of gene therapy, and discuss the actual composition of the near-term pipeline along with a range of modeled financial impacts and considerations for payers.

Description: The world of climate risk disclosures has seen dizzying levels of change in the last few years. In 2023, many regulators have publicly issued guidance on what insurance companies and other FIs should look to disclose. So what are we seeing in these disclosures and how do we use this information? Join our panel of experts to learn about the evolution of U.S. life insurance industry's climate disclosures and how insurers of all sizes and complexities are responding to NAIC's requirements.

Description: For decades the negotiated prices between health care providers, insurance carriers, and networks have been tightly-guarded trade secrets. That's quickly changing. Health care price transparency is now bipartisan-supported law. Gag clauses have been banned. Starting in January 2021 hospitals were subject to new rules requiring disclosure of the payment rates they receive from health plans to both consumers and the general public. So far, compliance has been mixed. Similar rules for payers become effective later in 2022 and 2023 for health plans and consumers. While entrenched interests are doing their best to stall transparency, unless the laws change, transparency is going to happen and will rock the commercial health insurance market, providing the long awaited opportunity for meaningful health care cost reductions. Learn more about price transparency laws and regulations, examine rocky implementation to-date, and discuss the role of self-insured employers in leading the market changes that will emerge from price transparency. By attending this session, you will be able to: - Name the applicable price transparency laws and rules. - See transparency as more than a list of new compliance requirements and consumer tools. - Anticipate that the downstream impacts of transparency on commercial health insurance will be profound. - Appreciate the increased power of self-insured employers.

Description: Learn about the climate-related risks and opportunities that are relevant to life insurers. Additionally, you will also discover an overview of key regulatory drivers around the globe that will require life insurers to take action in the near future.