This Week, January 27, 2012

Announcement

• The Academy filed on Jan. 27 an amicus curiae brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the pending challenge to the Affordable Care Act. The brief addresses a very narrow aspect of the case before the court and does not take a position on the constitutionality of the individual mandate or whether any other provisions in the law are severable from the mandate–nor does it support or oppose the law as a whole. Read the brief [1]. Read the Academy’s member alert [2] on the filing. Read the news release [3].

Upcoming Events

• Feb 8: Medical Loss Ratios—Final Regulations and Repercussions for the Health Insurance Marketplace
  This webinar will focus on the final MLR regulations, including how they differ from the proposed regulations, and also look at the implications for 2014 and beyond. Learn more [4].

• Feb. 10: The Affordable Care Act—What Every Actuary Should Know
  Presenters will discuss the key provisions in the law (focusing on those intended to expand coverage) and the status of implementation. This webinar is presented by the Academy and cosponsored by the Society of Actuaries and Conference of Consulting Actuaries. Members from all practice areas are encouraged to attend. Learn more [5].

Recently Released Publications

• Read the January issue of HealthCheck [6] noting the amicus curiae brief mentioned above and that looks at the Academy’s 2012 campaign toolkits for members across all practice areas.

Website: New Postings

• The Council on Professionalism continues to make its entire—and growing—library of professionalism webinars available free to members only. Earn continuing education (CE) credits by listening to these pre-recorded webinars. Click here [7] to see a list of professionalism webinars and to access the links for the recorded presentations and audio files.

• Read the Academy’s detailed list of policy priorities [8]to restore the nation’s fiscal health and financial security in response to the president’s State of the Union address.

• The Academy’s Life Reserve Work Group submitted a VM-20 amendment proposal form [9] to the Life Actuarial Task Force outlining a streamlined approach to mortality.

• The Academy’s Contingent Annuity Work Group wrote a letter [10] to the NAIC Contingent Deferred Annuity (A) Subgroup regarding the comparative analysis of the potential value of a typical contingent annuity and a self-directed investment arrangement (self-insurance).

Media Coverage

• Sand outlines Social Security proposal [11]
  Bismarck Tribune, Jan. 26, 2012
  The Academy was cited by U.S. Senate candidate Duane Sand of North Dakota as a source of data on Social Security. Sand unveiled a proposal to address Social Security’s financial challenges. Among other changes, his proposal includes an increase in the retirement age.

• The bucket: Actuaries identify four national priorities [12]
  Retirement Income Journal, Jan. 25, 2012
  The Academy’s statement [8], which outlined four policy priorities to restore the nation’s fiscal health and financial security, was discussed. The actuaries said that improving the sustainability of the Social Security and Medicare programs, developing a new retirement security framework, achieving the goals of health reform, and developing regulatory systems to successfully manage financial systemic risk should be among the nation’s highest policy priorities in 2012.

Publications

• The 2011 Academy Legislative/Regulatory Review is now available. The annual publication details significant legislative and regulatory activities affecting the actuarial profession, as well as the Academy’s work on these issues during the past year. Read the full alert [13].

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