Description: When building stress tests, modelers need to consider worst cases that are plausible. The most useful and robust scenarios begin qualitatively, with a narrative or story. Consistent quantitative relationships are then developed.

Description: Milliman has embarked on a multiyear aspirational effort with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s Insurance and Risk Financing Facility (IRFF) to build actuarial capacity and, as a result, support economic development in the developing world. The Global Actuarial Initiative (GAIN) was launched and announced at the 77th United Nations General Assembly on September 18, 2022 and aims to enhance and strengthen the actuarial profession in multiple target countries. GAIN efforts are focused on the goal of sustainable economic development by advancing effective risk management in developing nations. The interventions we embark on through GAIN will vary by country, reflecting its current actuarial needs, what we see as opportunities for improvement, and more importantly what the local stakeholders see as the most useful activities.

Description: Healthcare risk adjustment methodologies have become increasingly complex, largely due to the belief that complexity enhances accuracy. However, a disconnect exists between how healthcare risk is assessed and how payments are adjusted. This article explores the stark difference between measuring the accuracy of a risk assessment model at a member level, and that of a risk adjustment mechanism at the health plan level. I show that a highly simplified approach that does not use diagnosis codes can have similar accuracy on risk adjusted payments to models that do. These findings suggest that accuracy is not a barrier to developing simpler risk adjustment methodologies, which can improve payment accuracy and reduce the financial incentive for coding diagnoses.

Description: This is Part 2 of 2 on changes affecting Medigap insurers. It focuses on marketing and regulatory differences between Medigap and Medicare Advantage that affect the competitiveness of Medigap plans.

Description: 2014 marked a new beginning for small group(SG) health insurance market ushered in with adjusted community rated products priced from a single risk pool. It was anticipated that the mandated pooling of the risk would result in higher rates, especially for healthier groups. It is the aim of this article to show whether that view bears out in the actual market rates and if it is higher, then by how much. The article provides a point in time(1st quarter 2025) comparison of premium rates under two segments of the small group market, namely Qualified Health Plans(QHP) available under the small group ACA market versus self-insured Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements(MEWA) plans.

Description: A discussion on mandatory social security coverage of State and local government employees.

Description: A description of the changes to Social Security that will occur in 2020.

Description: Column from the chairperson of the Social Insurance & Public Finance Section describing future section plans.

Description: An update on the China insurance industry and the issues surrounding the admission of foreign insurance companies

Description: Life insurance products in China need to evolve as insurance regulations change.