A Summary of the June 2025 SOA Health Conference—With a Little Help from AI

By Jason Bribitzer-Stull

Health Watch, September 2025

It may seem facetious (and a little like cheating) to go to artificial intelligence (AI), but this was the first thing I did when I was asked to write a summary of the most recent Society of Actuaries (SOA) Health Conference that occurred in Dallas this past June. The reason: the use of AI in health care and the actuarial space was one of the main themes for this past conference. But AI is a tool—and a somewhat impersonal and occasionally incorrect one. So, for this article, I’ve taken a slightly different approach. I’ve used what Chat GPT gave me as summary points and then provided my own personal perspective and “on-the-ground” experience to take a dry summary and give it a more human perspective.

The conversation was generated on July 7, 2025 using Chat GPT version 4.5. The prompt I used is shown in boldface, Chat GPT’s responses are shown in italics and broken out into sections, and my comments (and corrections to the AI) are in regular type. Although I have reordered the information, all responses have been given verbatim.

Chat GPT Prompt: Provide a summary of the most recent SOA Health Conference in Dallas June 2025

Hosted by the Society of Actuaries, the in-person meeting took place in Dallas, TX, with over 1,000 Health actuaries attending. [Correction to Chat GPT: According to SOA staff, actual attendance was around 800.]

Dallas in June? This was my first reaction upon hearing of the location of this year’s conference. And, yes, while the temperature was in the 90s, the city proved to be a great place for this event. The conference space was perfect for the wide range of main sessions and break-out meetings, and if you didn’t have Texas barbecue while you were there, you certainly missed out. The energy of everyone in attendance was palpable and is one of the main reasons I prefer the in-person experience.

Featured 70+ breakout sessions covering topics such as:

• Health Economics & Business Intelligence
• Disability, group life, and long-term care insurance
• Medicaid, Medicare, ACA implementation, pharmacy, provider payment, public health, research, and innovation

Thematic highlights included:

• Value-based care, healthcare affordability, regulatory changes, and mental health challenges
• Advanced discussion on GLP-1 drugs, Medicaid’s unwinding, drug formularies, and SDoH initiative as seen in associated presentations

[Corrections to Chat GPT: The more accepted term “behavioral health” was used instead of mental health for sessions. A focus on stop-loss insurance in its many forms was also present throughout the sessions.]

The conference truly delivered on a wide range of topics. I am surprised that the focus on AI in health care didn’t make this list as it was a definite thread throughout the week. One session in particular, “GenAI in Action—Elevating Health Actuaries to New Heights,” was heavily attended and discussed actual AI use cases for actuaries. Showing how one can incorporate GenAI into our work was eye-opening to say the least (and admittedly gave me the inspiration for this article).

The depth of knowledge for some sessions was impressive, and for those who specialize in one specific area of health care (e.g., pharmacy, Medicaid, Medicare, ACA), there were tracks that could fill almost every session.

General sessions included professionalism and bias training, contributing to ~15 hours of continuing education

Continuing education requirements are one of the main reasons we attend conferences, and the summer Health Conference continues to deliver on current and applicable topics. One general session that stood out to me was “High Road Leadership.” An experienced panel of actuaries discussed approaches that help us be not only experts in our respective areas but true leaders in our industry. Of course, bias sessions were available for the Academy requirement, but as always it was the closing Professionalism session that provided the most enjoyment. Seeing SOA president-elect Dave Dillon in a 10-gallon cowboy hat while other notable members of the SOA played characters from the iconic Dallas TV show was certainly something I won’t forget anytime soon. (Who knew the Ewings were great actuaries?)

A variety of community-building events included First-time attendee mixers, DEI-focused receptions, trivia lunches, and evening social gatherings.

The social opportunities for the conference truly highlight one of the main reasons I go to this conference in person: networking. Whether it is meeting up with coworkers in person (I’m fully remote) or connecting with past coworkers from previous roles, it’s great to see familiar faces. At the same time, the opportunity to make new acquaintances can’t be sold short. My Linked-In profile connections increased significantly during and after the event, driven by the number of great social conversations I had at the various mixers and receptions.

In summary, the 2025 SOA Health Meeting in Dallas successfully blended deep technical session, broad networking opportunities, and economic insights. It tackled timely industry challenges – from regulatory complexity to innovative therapies – while supporting both seasoned professionals and emerging actuaries through dedicated social and candidate-focused programming.

Sometimes AI does a great job of summing things up. While the conclusion here is a bit dry, it does capture the vibrancy of this conference. AI definitely won’t replace the intelligence and perspectives trained actuaries bring to the health care problems with which we deal daily, but at times it can help us with day-to-day tasks. As we start using AI as the efficient tool it can be, we’ll find new and creative ways for it to assist. Thanks for the help, ChatGPT.

This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Neither the Society of Actuaries nor the respective authors’ employers make any endorsement, representation or guarantee with regard to any content, and disclaim any liability in connection with the use or misuse of any information provided herein. This article should not be construed as professional or financial advice. Statements of fact and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of the Society of Actuaries or the respective authors’ employers.

Jason Bribitzer-Stull, FSA, MAAA, is an actuary manager at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Jason can be reached at jbribitzer-stull@bcbsm.com.