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Health Policy Papers
Printer-friendly versionUpdate of a June 2011 fact sheet by the Health Care Quality Work Group providing an overview of the Medicare Shared Savings Program and the Pioneer ACO program. (December 19, 2012)
Guide to help voters understand what premium support is and the potential implications of shifting Medicare to a premium support program. (October 9, 2012)
Decision brief highlighting some of the issues that federal and state policymakers and regulators should consider as they are making their Medicaid expansion decisions. (September 10, 2012)
Voter guide to help explain why broad participation is necessary in the health insurance system to avoid higher premiums. (June 28, 2012)
Joint Academy/SOA research brief on risk-mitigation programs under the Affordable Care Act appear to reduce financial risks to health plans but overly restrictive limitations on premium rate increases can lead to high federal risk-corridor payments. (June 4, 2012)
Voter guide on Medicare to help explain the essential components of the program. (April 23, 2012)
Health Practice Council fact sheet providing an overview of the Medicare Shared Savings Program and how accountable care organizations (ACOs) are addressed in the Affordable Care Act. (June 16, 2011)
Health Practice Council brief providing definitions for commonly used terms associated with health care reform implemenation. (August 1, 2010)
Critical Issues in Health Reform
In 2009, the Academy's Health Practice Council introduced a new series of policy statements -- Critical Issues in Health Reform -- to provide an actuarial perspective to policymakers as they grappled with developing comprehensive reform proposals to slow the increase in health care costs, provide affordable and accessible coverage for the uninsured, and promote quality care. These policy statements addressed a variety of issues related to health care reform, providing the implications of various proposals being considered and their potential impact on the health insurance market.
- Actuarial Equivalence (May 2009)
- Administrative Expenses (September 2009)
- Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act (November 2009)
- Gender Considerations in a Voluntary Individual Health Insurance Market (May 2009)
- Health Insurance Cooperatives (October 2009)
- Individual Mandate (May 2009)
- Market Reform Principles (May 2009)
- Merging the Small and Individual Group Markets (September 2009)
- Minimum Loss Ratios (February 2010)
- Premium Setting in the Individual Market (March 2010)
- Public Plan Option (June 2009)
- Risk Pooling (July 2009)
- State Level Impact and State Characteristics (November 2009)
- Transitioning into New Markets (August 2009)
Health Policy Council call to action urging the President and Congress to restore the long-term solvency and financial sustainability of Medicare. (February 1, 2010)
Academy and Society of Actuaries technical report to help policymakers and the public understand the potential implications of an excise tax on high-cost, employer-provided health plans. (January 1, 2010)
Joint Academy/SOA technical report and webcast on the start-up capital requirements for health care cooperatives and/or a public plan option. (November 2, 2009)
Consumer-Driven Health Plans Work Group monograph summary of results from several experience studies on Consumer-Driven Health Plans. (May 1, 2009)
Medicare Steering Committee monograph highlighting various potential approaches for addressing Medicare's financial problems, along with a discussion of their relative strengths and weaknesses. The report also provides an overview of how Medicare is funded and its financial status. (June 30, 2007)
Premium Deficiency Reserves Work Group of the Health Practice Financial Reporting Committee discussion paper focuses on health premium deficiency reserves, with examples, common terms and references to authoritative guidance. (March 31, 2007)
Health Practice Council fact sheet highlighting findings from a study released by the Society of Actuaries that provides insights into the costs among nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke. (October 3, 2006)
Health Practice Council backgrounder on issues that should be considered in efforts to design a government-sponsored medical reinsurance program. (September 30, 2005)
"The Questions Candidates Should Answer About ... Americans Without Health Insurance" (An Election 2004 Guide to Analyzing the Issues). (March 1, 2004)
This 2004 election guide for journalists, policy-makers and citizens to use as they evaluate the candidates’ Medicare proposals. It summarizes several Medicare issues and suggests questions that should be considered when analyzing any proposed changes to the Medicare program. (March 1, 2004)
Defined Contribution Health Plan Work Group monograph providing an actuarial model to illustrate the impact of CDHPs on health costs. The monograph examines the theoretical impact of a shift to CDHPs on the various health care system participants. (January 31, 2004)
