Description: What can the United States learn from other countries' health care systems? How are other countries more efficient? We selected five countries that have been among those debated as having some of the most efficient health care systems to explore what the United States can learn from these examples.

Description: Presented at the Living to 100 Symposium, January 2011. Long-term care LTC insurance is frequently not covered by national social insurance programs. When costs are expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product, the future burden of financing LTC would not lead to unbearable tax levels and is not particularly large in comparison to the projected costs for pensions and health care. After identifying the breadth of definitions of LTC needs, it is argued that LTC is an insurable risk. The paper concludes that LTC social insurance is affordable in developed countries.

Description: Looking at the future, a panel of executives from leading global reinsurers predicted a broader framework in which capital markets, reinsurers and direct writers would be able to provide ways to offer or free up capital.

Description: This article was commissioned by the Society of Actuaries Pension Section Research Team to provide practitioners and researchers with a listing of Web sites containing information about defined benefit plans outside the United States. It also lists some non-Internet information sources. The research team’s primary motivation for the article was its belief that readily available comparative information on the pension environment in other countries, including current design and funding issues, would benefit practitioners and researchers dealing with similar issues.

Description: The collective investment in transforming the life insurance proposition exceeds anything seen in the last thirty years — a working lifetime. As one would expect, reinsurers are playing a major role. The past five years have seen global reinsurers raise the bar on client experience to new levels, while also investing, expanding and re-organizing to support the transformation of the primary insurance industry, and in so doing also their own.

Description: Panelists from the home-based care industry will discuss the latest technology and services that enable and prolong the receipt of formal and informal care at home for the elderly and delay transitions to care facilities.

Description: This article provides an introduction to comparative health policy for developed, developing and third-world countries. From Health Watch News, September 2006, Issue No. 53.

Description: "Issues surrounding end-of-life and palliative care are not well understood and there is little research in the actuarial literature. From an actuarial perspective, however, end-of-life is important because of the significant cost to the healthcare system. Ian Duncan will discuss some of his research on the financial implications of end-of-life care, as well as the outcomes of a palliative care program. Dr. Matzo is an engaging personality with decades of experience in gerontology and palliative nursing, including training and teaching professionals in the field. Dr. Matzo focuses on educating the public on the importance and benefits of palliative care and hospice (care given in the final six months of life). In this session on “Palliative Care Public Education,” Dr. Matzo will give us an overview of the benefits of palliative care and how this knowledge empowers the individual to make important decisions about their healthcare options. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the role that the actuarial profession may play in this area."

Description: Explore the National Academy of Medicine’s Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity.AARP has been a primary sponsor of the Roadmap. The Roadmap defines Healthy Longevity as when years of good health approach the biological life span, with physical, cognitive, and social functioning that enables well-being and establishes 2050 as the target year to achieve this goal globally. This Roadmap establishes five overarching principles for healthy longevity.

Description: Getting people to think beyond retirement about future care needs and how they will be paid for is critical for a healthy aging plan. However, most people avoid the topic and make rushed decisions when finding long-term care services. Hear from experts in this advisory field explain what a successful plan looks like and what it takes to get people to plan ahead.