Description: Learn about key actuarial and analytic tools and methodologies used by commercial health insurance to identify and quantify drivers of healthcare cost and utilization (including wasteful and low-value ones) and risks. Use case scenarios in which these tools and methodologies apply, such as underwriting, reinsurance, medical management for population health and chronic diseases, managed care contracting, insurance market reform, provider payment reform, etc., will also be covered. Experience from the U.S., China and other parts of the world will be shared.

Description: Chris Smith, vice chair of the Actuary of the Future section, had the privilege of attending the SOA Health meeting in Seattle for the first time this year. Read about his experience and thoughts on why you should plan to attend an SOA-sponsored conference for your career growth.

Description: This section presents book reviews and summaries of recent publications on a variety of topics.

Description: In the article in The Actuary, April 1972 the writer referred to the 15-year study of aging by Professor Edman Palmore of the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development of Duke University. His research indicated that work satisfaction was the best overall predictor of longevity and the second was overall happiness, reflecting a person's general satisfaction with his or her situation. The author discusses Work in America a paper written during the Nixon administration.

Description: Is your development team or IT staff growing tired of last-minute requests to include additional functionality? Have you strained to explain challenging actuarial topics to non-actuarial staff for implementation? Do your teams find themselves revisiting deadlines & timelines when building solutions? During this interactive panel discussion, three technologists (two software engineering managers and one data scientist) along with three actuaries will discuss real world problems and approaches using experience from previous projects. Although the challenge of running efficient software teams is not unique to actuarial science, this webcast will discuss best practices on how to organize teams to reduce friction and context switching. Presenters will also explore unique actuarial challenges and concepts including how to address standards on data quality when building software, how to build intuitive software that meets actuarial standards and how test-driven development makes it easier to meet actuarial standards of practice.

Description: Investigate the importance of collaboration with accounting, underwriting, sales, marketing and other professions as an actuary when you attend this webcast. Cross-functional positions can cause unique challenges to arise, like various experts attempting to balance growth and profitability. Discover an opportunity to learn about relevant ASOPs and dive deeper into contemporary examples that highlight specific professionalism issues that can develop.

Description: This article provides an overview of behavioral economic theory as it relates to health and welfare insurance plans and provides summaries of two sample applications of the theories: enrollment in health insurance exchanges created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and product design considerations in light of vast health illiteracy.

Description: Discover the benefits of building a shared business model during the Building Digital Platforms: Insurtechs, Carriers and Reinsurers webcast. This is an educational event for the actuary interested in product and channel innovation, in addition to those wanting to understand how to juggle competitive incentives in the market. Representatives from Insurtechs, insurance carriers and reinsurers will discuss their distribution development and product capabilities for marketing insurance products on digital platforms, as well as their collaboration throughout the process.

Description: The prospects for China's health insurance has increased significantly in 2018, incentivized by a series of favorable government policies to support the development of commercial health insurance. However, the market still lacks relatively mature products and services. Overall there is a common understanding in the industry that good coverage plus service is the foundation for health insurance future development, and product innovation plus care management is key for an insurance company to maintain sustainable development in the competition. In this presentation, Dr. Yang will discuss the market trend both at home and abroad with respect to health management as well as its impact on product design, pricing and cost control. With the development of internet and big data, today’s health actuary has a special role in taking advantage of the digital transformation and achieving a high-quality and efficient health care service model.

Description: The traditional informal care of/by family has faced increasing geographic and economic challenges from changing family households and sources of family income. Financial planning and risk protection tools provide important resource in the changing retirement landscape toward optimal family support and crisis management, that is, with less duress and financial burden to affected family caregivers. Ultimately, maintaining family values and close communications through evolving family structures are key to a healthy society and economic welfare of the people.