Description: Get highlights from recently published and upcoming research from the SOA Research Institute, including work on specialty pharmacy and 'Valuing the Impact of Technology in Health Care'. Presenters will focus on the financial impacts of these issues as well as trends and other actuarial considerations.

Description: Session 7G: The Battle for Small Groups

Description: Investigate Deloitte's methodology to quantify the cost of health inequities attributable to racial bias, gender/sex bias and socioeconomic bias. We will illustrate the methodology by calculating total potential cost savings across different disease states and discuss both the role that actuaries play in addressing health inequity and the steps that organizations can take to activate health equity.

Description: Come explore an in-depth overview of telehealth to set context and navigate the continuing expansion of telehealth and its integration into the healthcare delivery system. You will examine the forces that shape telehealth offerings and expect a view of the possible futures of this evolving modality.

Description: In honor of Bob Barker's 100th birthday (December 12, 2023), we will examine the emerging development in the opaque world of health care prices. 'Referenced Based Pricing' has been a cost-cutting strategy applied by some self-insured employers, but administration, employee dissatisfaction with balance billing, and litigation have been barriers to growth. The new transparency data has yielded research indicating that 'cash prices' are lower than commercially negotiated rates in some areas. Dive in with industry experts as they discuss emerging trends of how consumers, employers, and health insurers will pay for health care services.

Description: Reference Based Pricing (RBP) efforts have increased in popularity as tools to reduce the cost of care. Now with the ability to use CMS health plan transparency information, organizations can estimate the impact of savings from the use of RBP. This session will share the results of an analysis of this in the form of a case study.

Description: Delve into the factors contributing to the rapid growth of high-cost medical treatments and how payers can manage the financial exposure that comes with them. Learn about the current and near-future state of million-dollar medical costs, as well as the trends shaping the industry. By attending the session, you will have a better understanding of the underlying drivers of high-cost treatments and will be equipped with practical strategies for mitigating their financial impact, including risk management techniques, cost containment measures, and new payment models. Additionally, you will be able to identify key considerations for implementing these strategies in their own organizations.

Description: Session 4F: Clear as Mud - The Impact of Price Transparency

Description: Session 6H: Analyzing Healthcare Costs by Disease - Commercial versus Medicare Trends

Description: This session reviews the importance of using benchmarks in healthcare utilization management to improve organizational and patient outcomes and increase efficiency. It highlights how benchmarks can inform decisions about utilization management strategies and benefit members, payers, and providers. The presentation includes best practices, successful examples, and solutions to challenges, focusing on claim utilization, risk adjustment efficiency, quality metrics, and overall performance. Additionally, insights into the future of benchmarks and the value of analyzing the entire distribution of data for deeper insights will be shared.