Description: This study was sponsored by the Society of Actuaries Health Section. This paper explores the relative significance of aging as a determinant of financial cost of health care beyond age 50, with particular attention to the effect for ages 65 and older. The paper presents concepts of aging factors and aging curves, which define relative values between ages for utilization or cost of health care services. General conclusions are drawn from Medicare data that utilization and cost differ by age, but that aging factors vary across services and may be less significant at very old ages. The author then turns to the question of measuring the significance of an aging curve assumption and what accuracy is lost in the simpler alternative of a single value across an age range.

Description: The US healthcare system before and after Obamacare – better or worse and what's next?

Description: Taxes and Fees Introduced by the ACA

Description: A compilation of feedback from actuaries in the Health Section of the affects of the ACA.

Description: Implications of Consumer-Driven Health Care to consumers, employers and providers Issue No. 37.

Description: Article compares HMOs to other one stop non-health corporations that have gone away and states still in existance only due to forced government regulation, Issue No. 39.

Description: Using data to develop reserves for Incurred Prior Paid After and Incurred but Unpaid, Issue No. 38

Description: What’s New in Disease Management Medicare Modernization Act, certification of DM outcomes, DM publications. Issue No. 48

Description: This article is an overview of preliminary research on HSAs and Account-Based Health Plans. The summary reviews enrollment, health status, premiums and account information. From Health Watch Newsletter, September 2006, Issue No. 53.

Description: This article provides an introduction to comparative health policy for developed, developing and third-world countries. From Health Watch News, September 2006, Issue No. 53.