Description: Healthcare costs have been rising faster than general inflation for many years. Early models that predicted this past pattern projected healthcare expenditure growth that continued to outpace total expenditure growth leading to the fallacious position that the whole of the US economy would ultimately be consumed by healthcare. The Society of Actuaries' Pension Section and Health Section Research teams commissioned Professor Thomas E. Getzen of Temple University to construct a resource model for the projection of long term healthcare cost trends that includes capacity constraints to ensure the long-term projection is rational. The motivation for creation of the model was driven by its potential usage as a resource for the estimation of reportable liabilities for retiree healthcare benefits as specified under FAS 106 and GASB 45 accounting statements. This is a zip file containing the following: 1. A background paper on the creation of the health trend model, 2. The model, programmed in Microsoft Excel [xls format], that projects per-person expenditures and growth rates through 2099 using baseline assumptions, but also permits the flexibility for user–inputted alternative assumptions, and 3. Technical documentation providing transparency and support for the ultimate results.

Description: When the editor at The Actuary first approached me to review the book "Two Guys Read the Obituaries," I must admit to an overwhelming feeling of queasy self–consciousness. What exactly were the character traits of mine that led the editor to think I was a suitable choice to review a book about obituaries? After reassuring myself that I was chosen because I've previously reviewed books for The Actuary, rather than any personality similarities to the death–obsessed character played by Bud Cort in the classic "Harold and Maude," a number of questions immediately sprang to mind. From The Actuary Magazine June 2007

Description: This article talks about forging relationships between Health actuaries and CMS. Issue No. 60

Description: Summary of a panel discussion on the implications of an aging society. From 2005 Living to 100 and Beyond Monograph, M-LI05-1.

Description: This article memorializes Hubert Mueller, a close friend and colleague of the Risk Management section.

Description: Full version of Pension Section News, August 2005, Issue No. 59.

Description: Full version of Risk Management, July 2006, Issue No. 8.

Description: Full version of Pension Section News, Issue No. 61, April 2006.

Description: Describes SOA sponsorship and how to access data from the Understanding America Survey.

Description: In this article, the author reviews the award winning papers of the 2009 ERM Symposium Scientific Paper Track. Abstracts of the three winning papers are included covering topics such as ALM issues for Long Term Liabilities, Portfolio Risk, and Market participants' personal view of risks.