Description: In this Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute report, authored by consultants from Milliman, Inc. (Milliman) we aim to study the effects of hurricanes on human health: whether there is a relationship between hurricanes and the observed prevalence of healthcare utilization or certain health conditions among the affected population, whether this relationship can be observed through a healthcare utilization dataset, and whether there is an interaction between this observation and metrics of socioeconomic vulnerability.

Description: The Supplemental Health, DI & LTC Conference provides a unique opportunity to consider a cross-functional view of supplemental health products, individual disability insurance, and long-term care standalone and combination products.

Description: The document is a research call for proposals seeking researchers to produce a report on the uses of synthetic medical claims data for actuaries. It outlines the background, purpose, research objectives, proposal requirements, selection process, and conditions for submission.

Description: Explore the value and cost of prescription drugs, how they should be defined and measured and the effects various stakeholders in the pharmacy ecosystem can have on these factors in the latest webcast. You'll investigate the impact of coverage, formulary and rebate negotiations and related benefit design. Find out how actuaries can answer questions related to the prescription drug industry, in addition to improving the access, quality and affordability of prescription drugs in the United States. Join us for this webcast and come learn about value-based contract design, negotiations, implementation and administration for prescription drugs.

Description: As the medicine practice continues to evolve, join us for this webcast to receive up-to-date information about the incorporation of scientific advancements and emerging evidence into the field. The creation of innovative treatments and the focus on improving patient outcome can cause information and price shocks, which will be one of the covered topics. Expect to utilize this webcast as an introduction to precision medicine, which is a genetics-based approach to healthcare. Speakers will share their experiences in demonstrating cost-effectiveness and promoting reimbursement with this new approach.

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: Critical illness insurance is a popular supplemental health insurance product in the U.S. market. This article discusses how carriers have recently sought to add value by expanded the benefits offered in their critical illness products. Specifically, the article discusses the consumer need and development considerations of adding benefits for autism Spectrum Disorder, Mental health disorders, Specified Disease Coverage, and enhance Cancer Coverage to a critical illness contract.

Description: Keynote Speaker: J.D. Kleinke, Author and Medical Economist J.D. Kleinke has been instrumental in the creation of four health care information organizations; has served on the Boards of several health care companies; and spent many years advising both sides of the political aisle on non-partisan, practical approaches to health policy and legislation.

Description: Article discussing how the pursuit of value-based care as a consequence of health care reform laws such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Medicare Modernization Act has accelerated the use of risk adjustment and what it means to actuaries.

Description: The SOA’s Individual Disability Experience Committee (IDEC) has reviewed industry experience for both claims incidence and terminations. Based on this review, the committee has published two reports with experience modifiers that when applied to the 2013 IDIVT table best fit experience from 2005 to 2015. During this session, the factors and their development will be reviewed as well as their impact on active and disabled life reserves.