Description: This article contains excerpts from the first three articles that were released through the strategic initiative - Commercial Health Care: What’s Next?

Description: Feature article from the January 2010 issue of In The Public Interest newsletter discussing reform of the U.S. health care system.

Description: Letter by Concerned Actuary Group, printed in the January 2010 issue of In The Public Interest, in response to August 6 Review and Outlook Section editorial titled “Obamacare’s Real Price Tag.”

Description: This article discusses whether the health insurance is affordable given average income levels in the US.

Description: Discusses effect of allowing companies to sell health insurance policy in any state, if approved in one state, without requiring approval in any other state.

Description: The medical scheme approach adopted by several African countries has failed to meet the needs of those in informal employment and rural communities. This is partly due to affordability amongst these individuals as well as a lack of awareness of how healthcare financing products work. Community based healthcare organisations have achieved greater levels of success in this regard by carefully incorporating the peculiarities of communities in benefit design and involving community members in the management of these healthcare solutions. There are lessons to be garnered from the countries where these have been implemented with some level of success. Even as countries aim towards universal health coverage, observing the unique needs of different communities within a country is essential to ensure resources are utilised efficiently and that healthcare needs are targeted effectively.

Description: Stakeholders in a specific state (Minnesota) were interviewed about the potential value -- and obstacles -- of a catastrophic backstop program to handle long term care (LTC) financing needs. The design would entail a payroll deduction which would produce a fund to pay LTC expenses once a deductible period (of 1 to 4 years, depending on income) was reached. This design was believed to encourage enrollees to cover the front end better than done today, whether by private insurance or other means.

Description: This article is the first in a four-part series about what actuaries see as ideal components of a health care reform package. This part covers health care reform ideas explored at the Conference of Consulting Actuaries’ CCA 2009 Annual Meeting in Tucson, Ariz.

Description: Two responses to 'Predictive Modeling with Consumer Data' article in the Oct/Nov 2011 issue of The Actuary are critical of the proposal for using consumer data as a health insurance marketing tool.

Description: An overview of the Medicare Supplement landscape and the critical factors for successfully pricing and managing this product line amidst the challenges that exist.