Description: Discussion of direct primary care and how it helps with several challenges in health care today. DPC improves care coordination, improves outcomes, improves doctor and patient satisfaction, and reduces spending. DPC successes promote the view that primary care should not be covered by insurance; rather, it should be paid for directly.

Description: A discussion of issues and developments that threaten the collective confidence of the LTC insurance industry, including job cutting, changes in reporting requirements, and compliance audits.

Description: A discussion of the recently revised Society of Actuaries Global Initiatives Policy, which covers a variety of issues including relationships with other actuarial associations, professional development issues, and education issues.

Description: Updates on the efforts of the Academy’s health practice council. its work groups and task forces, to educate health care policymakers on issues including principles for reform, Medicare, the individual insurance market, and risk factors.

Description: Description of focus group research conducted in 2013 by the Committee on Post-Retirement Needs and Risks. The purpose of this study was to gain understanding of how people make decisions about when to retire and about managing financial risks in retirement. Eight focus groups of financially resource constrained retirees who had retired voluntarily were interviewed. The report offers many quotes from retirees and a chance to “give a face” to much of what we say about retirement.

Description: Description of the consulting segment of the actuarial profession as it now exists in Canada and the United States, the environment in which it has developed, and some of the unresolved problems and possible future developments. Followed by discussion papers submitted by 2 authors

Description: Notes that the current retirement system does not assure that everyone will retire with adequate retirement income, and provides arguments in favor of employers being required to provide pension plans.

Description: The article contemplates whether there is heightened sensitivity towards how investment activity is portrayed and described.

Description: This article talks about the challenges facing the FDA, especially those arising from the globalization of the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Description: Updates on HPC activities, including new work groups for providing input to key players as health care reform moves on from the legislative phase into the regulatory phase, as well as ongoing activities of existing workgroups in financial reporting, long term care, stop loss, disease management, Medicare SUpplement, sovency, cancer claims experience, and risk adjustment.