Description: Article from The Actuary regarding the medical malpractice crisis. could a macro system be the answer to a reduction in medical malpractice costs? Information in this article points in that direction.

Description: An examination of LTCI rate increases from three different perspectives: the insurance company, the policyholder, and the insurance department.

Description: A proposal to address provider payment issues by gradually moving to accountable care organizations. Capitations would be risk-adjusted, non-capitated costs would be covered by hospitalization fund and stoploss, incentives for quality & effective preventive care would be tied to the amount remaining in the fund, and government involvement would be through incentives rather than mandate.

Description: An analysis of health insurance cost and benefit trends using January 1, 2011 data from state employee medical plan renewals.

Description: Report on the activities of the Academy’s health practice council and its work groups.

Description: Presents ideas and discussion for improving Medicare so it may be financially sustainable

Description: A comment letter to policymakers produced jointly by the SOA and AAA presents findings from their actuarial analysis of the proposed CLASS Act. The analysis indicates that the proposed structure and funding approaches will be unsustainable, and will cover only a very small proportion of the intended population. The opt-out and guaranteed issue provisions of the plan pose a risk that soon the program will either need increased premiums and/or significant reductions.

Description: The editors of Health Watch have made health care reform the focus of the Sepctember 2009 issue, and provide an introduction to the issue's contents.

Description: Discussion of direct primary care and how it helps with several challenges in health care today. DPC improves care coordination, improves outcomes, improves doctor and patient satisfaction, and reduces spending. DPC successes promote the view that primary care should not be covered by insurance; rather, it should be paid for directly.

Description: A discussion of issues and developments that threaten the collective confidence of the LTC insurance industry, including job cutting, changes in reporting requirements, and compliance audits.