Description: Map of MA Regions Receiving Bids for Regional PPO Products

Description: CMS provides a significant, and growing amount of information that can be leveraged by actuaries. Between the public use and research files CMS makes publicly available large amounts of information that can be assimilated to begin to understand the who, what, when, where, and how of Medicare. This session will focus on the depth and breadth of data available, summarize any restrictions on the use of the data, and identify areas where access to the new data can provide more meaningful insights than CMS's historical data sets.

Description: The Health Section Council HSC of the Society of Actuaries approved and funded a project to study the cost impact on plan sponsor retiree pharmacy costs when Medicare Part D is implemented in 2006. Actuarial & Health Care Solutions, LLC AHCS was retained by HSC to perform the project. This report provides estimated savings for several of the options that will be available to plan sponsors after implementation of the Medicare prescription drug program.

Description: A summary of Medicare reform and its effect on prescription drug coverage.

Description: This paper identifies and discusses issues affecting retirees’ abilities to successfully navigate medical insurance choices after their employer retiree medical insurance group benefit plan has been terminated and replaced by an outsourced health reimbursement account (HRA) providing accessibility to a stipend through eligible medical insurance claims submissions.

Description: This paper discusses the quality of healthcare verses the price of healthcare and puruses individuals and doctors making decisions for their own healthcare costs and services.

Description: A glossary of terms.

Description: While there are many issues in healthcare, the single most significant issue is cost, both in terms of the cost today and in terms of the growth in cost over the past several decades. We need to increase the ability of all citizens to purchase healthcare services or health insurance that in turn purchases healthcare services, and decrease the growth in the cost of healthcare.

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

Description: Essay reforming management in health care, structure of reimbursement, program management, health information, measurement systems, etc.