Description: Recognizing an opportunity to help serve its members in this age of increased financial oversight, the Health Section of the Society of Actuaries commissioned a series of guides on the use of statistical techniques specifically geared for the work of health actuaries. From Health Watch Newsletter, January 2008, Issue No. 57.

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: Letter from the Editor - Mary van der Heijde

Description: Highlights of Health Section's annual meeting June 13-15, 2012.

Description: Discussion and Opinion on how randomness affects measurement of provider contracting risk-sharing agreements

Description: This article outlines and summarizes research from Swiss Re about the prevalence of the Health Protection Gap throughout Asia, with a particular focus on China. Authors Robert Burr and David Zhang share key statistics on the scope of the gap, which is more than 800Bn USD in China alone, and discuss the role that technology and private-public partnership can play in reducing this gap over time. Readers will come away with an understanding of the scale of the problem within the Asia region as well as new ideas on how to solve similar problems within their own region.

Description: The coming wave of biosimilars could dramatically affect prescription drug costs and benefit strategies over the next several years. The launch of many Humira biosimilars in 2023 is the Big Event that will largely determine the impact of the biosimilar wave. Payers have many decisions to make about coverage and formulary tiers. What factors will drive payer decision-making?

Description: Methods and assumptions used in the valuation of savings by external care vendors

Description: This article lists the top priority issues for SOA health committees for 2003 and their support for the Healthcare System in Crisis project, which is focused on giving the public an actuarial perspective on the dynamics and interrelationships of the healthcare system.

Description: This article discusses a study of the impact of the drug infliximab on Crohn's disease patients. This study had been approved in response to an SOA request for proposals for research on the health cost and utilization effects of a specific prescription drug.