Description: This article from major US payers describes palliative care as a scaleable means of improving quality and reducing costs during serious and complex illness.

Description: An update on HMO market trends and reinsurance products, and services supporting them.

Description: Presenter discusses issues related to alternative care, as well as SOA activity in regard to alternative care. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 24, No. 1.

Description: Article from the Pension Section News, June 2000, on the simple logic of health care inflation. This article is reprinted with permission and ran in the April 2000 issue of Health Section News.

Description: Presenter describes many of the desirable characteristics of a health care financing system, and alternative health care financing systems as they are found in other parts of the world. The advantages and disadvantages of each alternative system are also discussed. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 24, No. 2.

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: An article that illustrates an actuary's finding that that federal and state governments spend more dollars for health care than employers and individuals spend for health insurance plans.

Description: This session discussion is about outside actuarial profession's perspective on health care cost, insurer's role in medical care management, relationships between treatment decisions, available coverage, appropriate use of underwriting and paying for uncompensated care. From Record of Society of Actuaries Vol. 18, No. 1A.

Description: An interview with Dawn Helwig on developments in the Long Term Care market.

Description: A rethinking of current provider reimbursement, focusing on incentives instead of simply cutting fees. The recommended 2-pronged approach would feature integrated provider organizations as well as evidence-based decision making organized around episodes of care.