Description: Read the November 2016 issue of Health Watch published by the Health Section. Newsletters provide practical information for the working actuary, articles on trends that impact sections and news about section activities.

Description: The SOA’s research objective is to provide guidance to state exchange officials and administrators, federal officials and administrators, and actuaries assisting states and health plans. The goal of the project is to estimate the morbidity and/or cost for newly insured individuals in the individual market (and to some degree, the small group exchange) relative to the morbidity and/or cost for the current commercially insured population. This analysis will primarily focus on the individual, non-group market. In order to plan for the impact that these currently uninsured individuals will have on the health insurance markets, it will be important to understand their costs relative to the costs for people already enrolled, for whom many health insurers have experience and data.

Description: This presentation uses a dataset provided by a private insurance company which contained demographic, cost, and diagnostic data which allows the determination of which factors drove costs up and how these factors will affect the total cost for future years.

Description: An overview of the issues behind reimbursing providers on a bundled or packaged basis. The article presents the potential advantages offered by the proponents as well as the criticisms and obstacles to implementing this type of payment system.

Description: This article discusses the potential characteristics of health care reform and the associated impact on small insurance companies.

Description: Discussion of recent developments in the taxation of noncoordinated benefits such as fixed indemnity, hospital indemnity, and specified disease insurance policies. Developments include a recent Chief Counsel Advice Memorandum and proposed triagency rulemaking that would impact non coordinated benefits.

Description: An overview of health care history and privatization developments in four Latin American countries: Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Brazil.

Description: Update on Health Section research projects and topics, including health care reform, complexity science, and strategic planning.

Description: Cover article introducing this month's newsletter and discussing the highlights of the contents of the newsletter

Description: This article points out actuarial issues surrounding provisions in the ACA that impact financial reporting.