Description: Read the October 2019 issues of Health Watch, published by the Health Section. Practical information for actuaries, articles impact sections, section activities. This is the second digital-only issue of the newsletter.

Description: Blockchain technology has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life and overall health of the members of a health system, while also adding to administrative efficiencies. For the first time, we will have access to members’ entire diagnoses and prescription history, consumer behavioral attributes, and other socio-economic determinants which that are valuable inputs to designing appropriate benefits and proper care management plans. Through the blockchain, we will be able to access data not just of the existing members of the health system but also of potential enrollees and new entrants. The data can be accessed by querying the blockchain through a permissioned granted by the member. This information can be very useful in performing feasibility studies for evaluating entry into newer markets and/or newer products, developing customized care plans, and designing efficient value-based contracts. By executing smart contracts on the blockchain, we will be able to achieve administrative efficiencies like never before. The applications of blockchain technology are numerous and ground-breaking. Organizations that do not pay heed to the benefits that blockchain can bring may find themselves left behind as the rest of the industry marches forward in its quest for efficiency and member satisfaction.

Description: MACRA not only impact providers, it will impact the entire healthcare market. MACRA published studies and commentary to date have primarily focused on providers, with the majority of the information addressing the impacts to clinicians. However, our investigation indicates MACRA has far reaching impacts to payers as well as providers. MACRA is impacting each geographic market and line of business in a unique way, and health payers will have multiple strategic decisions to consider given the changing market dynamics.

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: This introduction to Captive Insurance Companies will provide an overview that includes the history of captives, different types of captives, common applications, how captives work, why employers form or join a captive, and a Medical Stop Loss Group Captive case study.

Description: This session will examine bias from a social science perspective. It will discuss the three types of systemic biases using the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) model. The NIST model details the three types as historical bias, societal bias, and institutionalbias. The session will also provide several examples of each type to provide a framework for identifying the social structure of bias.

Description: Explore key findings of an SOA-funded research paper on telehealth that will be published in 2023. The COVID-19 pandemic initially caused some health care delivery to shift away from in-person transactions to a more digital form of transactions, including telehealth, e-mails, remote patient monitoring and other forms of communication.

Description: This is an introduction to the SOA call for essays around risk strategies pertaining to the diverse risks found in retirement. We are pleased that these essays can be included in this issue of Pension Section News, along with a short interview with each author.

Description: "Examine the exciting possibilities for artificial intelligence (AI) in health care and its potential to transform the patient journey. You will learn about the various touchpoints where AI is being applied along the patient/care journey, including provider search tools, claims analysis, and fraud detection. By attending the session, you will be able to: Have a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and challenges presented by AI in health care Evaluate the potential impact of AI on their own organizations Be equipped with strategies for effectively implementing AI solutions and maximizing their benefits for patients, providers, and payers"

Description: Join us for an insightful webcast as we delve into the far-reaching implications of the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Chevron deference. This landmark ruling, which previously granted federal agencies significant leeway in interpreting ambiguous statutes, is set to reshape the landscape of healthcare policy.