Description: This session discussion is about two proposals for health-care reform will be presented, one from the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association and one from the Council for Affordable Health Care. These dramatically different proposals will be compared and open for critique. From Record of Society of Actuaries Vol. 18, No. 4A.

Description: Despite a clear need and demographics which should be favorable to LTCI growth, the market remains stalled due to lack of understanding on the consumer side, and uncertainty on carriers' side. The 3 key risk areas for carriers are morbidity, terminations, and investment earnings. Financial market innovations which can address these include: repackaging risks as derivative securities, interest rate swaps and options, and inflation swaps.

Description: This article contains excerpts from the first three articles that were released through the strategic initiative - Commercial Health Care: What’s Next?

Description: A proposal to address provider payment issues by gradually moving to accountable care organizations. Capitations would be risk-adjusted, non-capitated costs would be covered by hospitalization fund and stoploss, incentives for quality & effective preventive care would be tied to the amount remaining in the fund, and government involvement would be through incentives rather than mandate.

Description: Panelists discuss the characteristics of and impediments associated with effective management of the long term care insurance market, particularly as it related to pricing, marketing, and underwriting. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 24, No. 2.

Description: The Brazilian private health care market ended 2010 with US $48 billion worth of premium. This already makes it Latin America’s largest health care market and sixth in the world ranking. This article provides information on the market and opportunity for growth.

Description: Updating relevancy of accidental death insurance for seniors

Description: Growing in popularity, coverage of Independent Provider services under long-term care insurance plans providing home health care benefits presents unique challenges—from product design to claims practices.

Description: The NAIC Innovation work group has set out 10 ideas for improving the LTC insurance market. This article discusses and critiques those ideas.

Description: The author discusses health care practices in Japan and how the US could successfully adopt some of them.