Description: An analysis of population mortality at the older ages in the United States. The analysis is based principally on data obtained for calendar years 1968-69 in the operations of the Medicare program. In addition, the author develops mortality rates by single ages at the very high ages 85 and over, using the extinct cohort method based on deaths recorded through the vital statistics system in calendar years 1951-68.

Description: A paper analyzing cause of death population statistics. Discussion of sources of reporting data with respect to both occupation at death and cause of death especially when there are multiple causes. In the present paper the writer attributes much of the confusion in medical literature on mortality trends to the emphases placed on coronary disease as a cause of death. However, regarding the group of diseases known on the North American Continent as cardiovascular-renal disease the author establishes that the medical and other professions do experience a definitely higher mortality from this disease. Followed by 2 discussion papers submitted

Description: Discusses valuation standards for payout annuities, and results of the a-1949 Mortality Table.

Description: These are discussion papers on the paper, 'The ELAS Life Income Mortality Table' by Harry Walker. That paper describes the derivation of the ELAS Life Income Mortality Table, which has been adopted by the Equitable Life Assurance Society as the mortality basis for the life income option of the modes of settlement in its current series of policy forms and for the calculation of premiums under currently issued individual deferred annuity contracts.

Description: Discussion of the following underwriting topics: A. In view of the low rates of mortality currently experienced on standard lives, is the standard classification too narrow? B. Do substandard extra premiums at the lower ratings make fair provision for the additional expenses incurred on substandard policies? C. What problems are encountered in issuing life insurance on persons residing outside the continental United States and Canada? D. What changes have been made recently in non-medical selection and why? E. How could greater use be made of mortality or morbidity studies conducted by hospitals, clinics, government agencies, universities and others outside of the life insurance business?

Description: This paper is from Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1955 Volume 7, Number 17. The author notes that recent advances in calculating equipment make possible producing graduations much more elaborate than any done previously. The paper confines itself to the problem of graduating a single column of rates, such as an ultimate column, using a Whittaker-Henderson B graduation of the fourth order. The author provides a detailed description of the process with significant mathematical theory.

Description: This paper is from Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1955 Volume 7, Number 17. The authors note that ‘mortality experiences of large closed groups carried through until the termination of all the lives are not often available,’ but that they provide ‘relatively reliable mortality experience at the very advanced ages.’ This paper presents the results of the mortality study of probably the only such closed group to date in the United States, the pension roll of Union Civil War veterans.

Description: This paper examines mortality and if the improvements have been sufficient to show a need for a new legal standard and if experience of individual companies compare with recently published experience. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1960, Vol. 12, No. 33.

Description: An article from The Actuary that highlights the strategic importance of inter-company mortality studies. Broad-based mortality studies form the backbone of the life actuarial profession. However, few companies have sufficient exposure or deaths to construct their own mortality table. Even is some large companies have enough data, there is still a vast majority of companies that do not. Historically, the void has been filled by means of inter-company studies.