Description: Social determinants of health (SDoH) have been a topic of growing interest in recent years, yet consensus about what the phrase represents and how health-related social needs should be studied or addressed by employers, health plans, providers and other stakeholders in the business of health care have been lacking. For many, low-income populations come to mind when considering the topic, yet SDoH include a wide range of factors beyond income. Many types of data are available, yet each presents distinct challenges and opportunities for analysis. In this article, we describe some of the underlying context for considering SDoH, as well as some of the potential data sources to consult and challenges to grapple with on this important topic.

Description: Panelists discuss what is driving the increase in prescription drug costs, what strategies are being used to try to control them, and what may be in store for the future. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 28, No. 3, Session 26

Description: Actuaries should understand the economic considerations involved in the formulary drug decision-making process, and the presence of actuarial input in the process could improve it, especially by tying it to overall decision making for the health plan. From Prescription Drugs Monograph, M-HB04-1.

Description: This article looks at pharmacy benefit management and the use of data, reviews standard pharmacoeconomic analysis methods, and discusses points for formulary decision making and what is known about the process. From Health Section News, March 2005, Issue No. 49.