Description: ReFocus is an annual global conference for senior-level life insurance and reinsurance executives hosted jointly by ACLI and the Society of Actuaries (SOA). This event features top-notch speakers, thought-provoking sessions, and superior networking opportunities.

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: "Weighted compositional data analysis for modeling and forecasting life-table death counts – Han Lin Shang, Ph.D., Professor of Business Analytics and Director of Research at the Department of Actuarial Studies and Business Analytics at Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, Steven Haberman, PhD, Bayes Business School, City University of London, UK Compensation Effect of Mortality as a Challenge to Life Extension – Natalia S. Gavrilova, Ph.D., Leonid A. Gavrilov, Ph.D. Academic Research Centers, NORC at the University of Chicago"

Description: Read this Chairperson's Corner for the March 2024 issue of International News to learn more about planned meetings and upcoming events.

Description: Interview with global reinsurance leader. View from the top. Provides perspective of macro trends and challenges in developing strategy in a competitive marketplace

Description: At the conclusion of the session, attendees will be able to understand the potential for using global population health mortality and morbidity data in actuarial contexts. Using the Global Burden of Disease project as a resource, this session will discuss how novel population health research can be used to complement and fill in the gaps of existing input data sources for actuarial analysis and modeling. Presenters will share the latest academic research on the topics of demography, life expectancy, health-adjusted life expectancy, causes of death and disability, comprehensive disease incidence and prevalence metric, measures of disease burden for patients and populations, modifiable risk factors where there are opportunities to make interventions and improve health outcomes, and disparities between and within populations. This research is globally comprehensive and comparable between different markets and disease areas. The session will cover the motivation and purpose of GBD, a brief description of the models used, and dive deep on some selected use cases in actuarial contexts. Audiences will leave with: 1. Understanding challenges and opportunities in measuring disease burden comprehensively and consistently 2. Understanding relevant health metrics, including the drivers of future mortality and morbidity 3. Ideas for applications of epidemiological research in your work

Description: This session will focus on the topic of Bermuda Reinsurance: Operational Readiness for Changes. The presenters will examine the current state of the reinsurance industry in Bermuda and explore the operational strategies that companies must consider to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market. The discussion will cover regulatory updates, and market shifts that are influencing the way reinsurance businesses operate. The presenters will also discuss operational capabilities and organizational structure to think about when designing a new entity.

Description: Explore a general overview of the Medicare Advantage VBID hospice model, including program goal and a brief review of available information on plan participation in 2021 and 2022. Join us to learn how the program can support other elements related to health equity and address social determinants of health. You will be able to focus on how to improve quality of life and care using palliative, concurrent and/or transitional care and hospice services. Elevate your understanding with a summary of publicly available hospice experience data published by CMS, as well as a review of published research by the SOA and others related to hospice and end of life care. Finally, expect technical guidance regarding VBID model financial implications and proposed enhancements to the program as CMS transitions from the current model due to expire at end of 2024.

Description: SARS-CoV2 will impact our post-pandemic future. Morbidity more than mortality will impact the life and health business in the mid-term. But how does this temporary disruption in health care elicit long-tail implications on other common diseases and changes in lifestyles? Find out how mid-term pricing could be affected using one case scenario and also show how mental health will particularly shape the post-pandemic future (individually and societal), not only due to long COVID. Review the experience of the insured policies and discuss future ideas for COVID-19 research at the Society of Actuaries Research Institute. Consider recent causes of death studies, as well as reported claims analyses to help expedite the analysis of recent experience. Join us where experts from both the medical and actuarial disciplines join forces to discuss this important topic.

Description: Some seniors may find it challenging to manage frequent doctor visits. Telemedicine can significantly fill in some of these gaps by enabling “virtual” doctor visits. Telemedicine improves access to medical care, reduces the need for transportation, reduces wait times, protects the health of individuals who won’t be exposed to germs of others in a waiting room, and improves access to care from a healthcare professional who may be far away from the patient and more. Implications for telemedicine in charged amounts (in various insurances) are being worked out and continue to evolve.