Description: This article examines the costs of mental health parity, presents the primary drivers of cost increases from legislation and shows evidence the initial cost projections were too high. From Health Section News, March 2005, Issue No. 49.

Description: Health Watch Newsletter, May 2006, Issue No. 52. This article presents information from a recently completed client-sponsored survey of hospital contracting best practices. Individual health plans were evaluated using a structured survey document. The primary objective of the survey was to identify best practices that the client sponsor could implement to improve its already better-than-average hospital contracting practices

Description: 2001 SOA Annual Meeting, New Orleans. Health care cost trends have substantially increased in the past two years. Panelists discussed the factors contributing to these increased trends, the prospect for further increases in the future, and national health care issues.

Description: This article discusses the positive aspects of E-prescribing, a transaction in which a physician transmits a prescription directly to a pharmacy through an electronic device. Issue No. 60

Description: Panelists discuss opportunities to improve medical cost trends through underwriting, healthcare benefit designs, contracting, network management, claims operations, and medical management. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 31, No. 2, Session 40

Description: SOA’s recently completed research project related to long term projects of health care cost trends for use in post retirement medical valuations.

Description: Successful healthcare reform: First, it must help that must keep healthy people healthy. Second, it must help people mitigate or eliminate the health-risks associated with unhealthy lifestyle behavior choices, and Third, it must ensure the provision of evidence-based care to those who are ill.

Description: This is the English version of the research report, “Funding Public Health Insurance Plans Canada and Globally”. This report briefly looks at the actual health care funding models and metrics in seven countries (Canada, Sweden, France, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States) along with health care metrics for another 13 countries (20 OECD countries in total). This report also suggests a number of possible areas where actuaries could provide expertise to assist in the management of public health care plans.

Description: Diabetes mellitus type 2 is an excellent model for assessing the setup of medical coverage in the U.S. health care system. It is a chronic disease that has genetic, behavioral and other medical causes, and causes many complications over the long term. From Financing Chronic Care Monograph, M-HB05-1.

Description: Panelists discuss current issues and trends impacting health plan contracting with providers. Hospital and physician contracting is discussed from both a payer's and provider's persepctive. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 30, No. 1, Session 30