Description: Article from The Actuary, March 1972 – volume 6 - Issue 3 provides the author's comments on Health Maintenance Organizations and describes an opportunity for actuaries to apply as service providers to this developing industry.

Description: Description and specifications for the health section's article-writing contest on the topic of provider payment reform.

Description: Panelists discuss the methods HMOs employ to measure their providers' quality of care, outcomes, compliance with best practice guidelines, and cost control. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 25, No. 2.

Description: A review of the 2009 Health Spring Meeting, which included speakers & sessions on the future of the SOA, U.S. health care reform, claims data issues & improvements, predictive modeling, underwriting principles, employer stoploss, cost trends, LTD & disability, and mental health parity regulations.

Description: Recently, actuaries have become more involved in formulary decisions due to high and variable pharmacy cost and utilization trends. How can actuaries and pharmaceutical manufacturers work together to better predict the market while covering key drugs? What discussions are currently taking place between manufacturers and payers? Is there value in these discussions that actuaries are missing? This presentation will provide both actuarial and manufacturer perspectives in order to create a mutual understanding that will begin to direct future conversations to benefit both stakeholders.

Description: This article presents a view of health care as an economic system, suggests a framework for classifying current criticisms of the system, and offers references for further reading.

Description: Realizing the impact of medical errors on the U.S. health care system, the Health Section commissioned a research project to measure the annual frequency of medical errors and their total measurable direct and indirect cost to the economy.

Description: An examination of the underlying reasons for the concept of health expectancy, some alternative approaches to developing the measurement and some of the powerful uses of this new tool.

Description: Report on the proceedings of the 2010 Long Term Care Think Tank Session, whose goals were to discuss the major issues and challenges facing the LTC insurance industry, and to formulate action items and initiatives to help the industry move ahead. Focus was on understanding the needs & affordability capabilities of different market segments, the limited variety of product designs, shrinking distribution force, regulation and public policy, implications of the CLASS Act, and ideas for educating consumers and marketing products.

Description: A look back at the 30 years since the Health Section was formed.