Description: There are many investigations probing the relationship between health outcomes [such as mortality rate, fertility rate] and economic variables [such as rise in income] and other variables [such as level of education, availability of clean water]. Usually, these results are demonstrated using data from countries where economic conditions are improving over time along with health outcomes. This paper studies the links between health risks and the current economic conditions in Mexico where general mortality conditions improved during the period 1980-2000 but income fell.

Description: This is a discussion of the paper, 'A Convenient Method of Providing for Mortality Improvement Based on the a-1949 Table' by James E. Hoskins. Discusses seriousness of errors that can develop under certain circumstances, provides a formula for adjusting by modes of payment, discusses circumstances in which differences between Hoskins' method and Projection B is greater than in the example used in the paper, etc.

Description: This section presents multiple book reviews and summaries of recent publications. Reviews: 'Social Security' by Myers, 'Report on Actuarial Principles and Practical Problems with Regard to Nonforfeiture Requirements' by Society of Actuaries, 'Mortality and Morbidity in the US' by Erhardt and Berlin, 'The Fifty-Second Annual Report of the Board of Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement System' by US Government, 'Health Service Information in the US Today' by Murnaghan, 'Financial Problems Confront the Federal OASI and DI Trust Funds' by Staats, 'Public Employee Pension Funds' by Tilove, '1976 Annual Reports of the Board of Trustees of the Federal OASDI Trust Funds...' by US Congress, 'Report of the Consultant Panel on Social Security to the US Congressional Research Service' by US Government, 'Crime by Computer' by Parker, 'Reports of Consultants on Actuarial and Definitional Aspects of Social Security Disability Insurance' by US Government, 'Social Security: The Fraud in Your Future' by Shore, '1972 Lifetime Earnings by Age, Sex, Race and Education Level' by Social Security Administration. Digests also included.

Description: This paper by the SOA Committee on HIV research builds on past work to show three projections of the future of the AIDS epidemic. These scenarios can provide information to actuaries in considering the financial impact of AIDS for life and health insurance. The paper develops general population AIDS mortality rates related to the three scenarios. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1990, Vol. 42.

Description: This paper studies mortality differences between right and left-handed professional baseball players by examining the times of, and ages of, death of more than 6,000 players who died before 1990.

Description: The Soviet Union recently released complete life tables for 1984-85. This paper compares the data in these life tables with those in the 1958-59 U.S.S.R. life tables and with those in U.S.A. life tables for comparable periods. Discussion is included.

Description: Some recent studies have shown a 'crossover' of mortality rates, with female rates exceeding male rates beyond some age around 100. The purpose of this paper is to develop some statistical tests for the significance of observed crossovers. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1986, Vol. 38.

Description: The author prepared the static Ga-1951 Male Mortality Table using Projection Scale C to 1970 and has graduated the results with a Gompertz formula.

Description: A review/highlights of the report on US population mortality improvements for the 4 years up to 2001

Description: The Mortality Studies Working Group MSWG of the Society of Actuaries was created to review the issue of the frequency of the standard ordinary individual life insurance mortality experience studies and the published reports of those studies. This report discusses these issues and makes recommendations.