Description: Part 1 of a 2-part series exploring implementation issues for the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 MHPAEA. Part 2 addresses the new enforcement safe harbor, how the regulations could impact the business of behavioral health care and the impending decisions for payors, employers, providers, and insureds.

Description: Read the February 2018 issue of Health Watch, published by the Health Section. Practical information for actuaries, articles impact sections, section activities.

Description: While there are many approaches currently being taken to transform health care, to be successful, we know that leading and planning for quality improvement is a science. Data is the common denominator as healthcare organizations establish best-practices, and ultimately overcome unintended variation through strong analytic systems. Health care leaders require specialized data analysis education and training to hone their skills in understanding and managing clinical variation. The problem with unexplained variation in healthcare is that it negatively impacts clinical outcomes, increases the cost of care, and diminishes value for patients. In this session, Dr. Ted James (BIDMC and Harvard Medical School Faculty) will explain how actuaries can offer practical solutions that provide insights into variations in clinical practice that cannot be explained by differences in medical conditions or patient preferences.

Description: The ACA’s Medical Loss Ratio Provisions

Description: The MACRA/QPP Provider Revenue Model is designed to provide an estimate of the revenue impact of the QPP (MIPS, AAPM) on a provider group or ACO, based on the required inputs and scenarios.

Description: The MACRA/QPP Payer Revenue Model is designed to provide Health Plans an estimate of the expected claim cost increase/decrease due to MACRA.

Description: Introduction to the ACA @ 5 publication

Description: This paper introduces a single measure combining cost and quality of healthcare. This is used to demonstrate the magnitude of the challenge of the increasing dependency rate. It is then used in assessing a number of alternative financing models, including user fees and alternative compensation methods for physicians. The paper documents implementation issues and evaluates the desirability of implementing these approaches in Canada.

Description: Essay reforming healthcare where participants have a vested interest in reaching the best answer.

Description: Details of an actuary’s project to help a local nonprofit agency improve its data analysis and customer service issues.