The Health Practice Council (HPC) provides objective technical expertise to policymakers and regulators on major health insurance and health care affordability issues, including Medicare.
Drivers of health care costs and slowing the growth in health care spending.
Financial reporting and solvency issues at the state level, such as NAIC-related projects on RBC, as well as emerging international solvency issues and federal regulation of insurance companies.
Federal and state long-term care issues, including the CLASS Act and LTC pricing/valuation.
Implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the health care reform law passed in 2010, and other health care reform issues.
Potential reform options addressing Medicare’s financial sustainability, and information on the Medicaid and CHIP programs.
The Long-Term Care Valuation Work Group gave a follow-up presentation to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) NAIC Long-Term Care Actuarial (B) Working Group to discuss the data set used in preparation of the of the Long-Term Care Insurance Mortality and Lapse Study. The NAIC will develop a list of areas that they would like commenters to focus on, and then will expose the report for a 60-day period.
( )This infographic illustrates the factors underlying premium rate setting and highlighting the major components driving premium changes in the individual and small group markets for 2023, that are discussed in the recently released issue brief.
( )The Individual and Small Group Markets Committee released an issue brief laying out the factors underlying premium rate setting and highlighting the major components driving premium changes in the individual and small group markets for 2023.
( )The Group Life Waiver Premium Valuation Table Work Group submitted recommendations for the revised 2022 Group Life Waiver of Premium Valuation Table and the revised Actuarial Guideline 44 (AG 44) to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Health Actuarial (B) Task Force (HATF).
( )The Health Practice Council’s Individual and Small Group Markets Committee and Active Benefits Subcommittee submitted comments to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on the proposed rule for “Affordability of Employer Coverage for Family Members of Employees.” The comments relate to provisions addressing the so-called “family glitch,” revisions to the employer coverage affordability test, and the Minimum Value (MV) Calculator.
( )The Medicare Committee released an issue brief on the financing challenges facing the Medicare program based on the 2022 Medicare Trustees Report.
( )The Long-Term Care (LTC) Reform Subcommittee’s LTC Actuarial Equivalence Work Group released the public policy issue brief, Value of Reduced Benefit Options in Long-Term Care Insurance Rate Increases. This issue brief examines the relationship of benefits to premiums for reduced benefit options (RBOs) in the context of ongoing long-term care insurance (LTCI) premium rate increases.
( )Group Life Waiver Premium Valuation Table Work Group chairperson, Sue Sames, presented an update on proposed recommendations to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Health Actuarial (B) Task Force on the Group Life Waiver of Premium Valuation Table and Actuarial Guideline 44 (AG 44). The purpose of the presentation was to give an overview of the work group’s progress and present the initial set of recommendations.
( )On April 9, 2022, Academy Board member and Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) Chairperson Annette James presented to about 150 students at the Drake Symposium on Insurance on “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Actuarial Profession.” Chairperson James highlighted the Academy’s strategic focus and ongoing efforts to address DE&I, including fostering a diverse, inclusive profession. She also presented on ongoing multifaceted HEWG initiatives to address health equity.
( )Academy Health Practice Council (HPC) Vice Chairperson, Barb Klever, provided an update on HPC activities to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Health Actuarial (B) Task Force during the Virtual 2022 Spring National Meeting.
( )The Health Care Delivery Committee released an issue brief on the “Implications of Hospital Price Transparency on Hospital Prices and Price Variation.” The brief emphasizes that price transparency may be a necessary, but not sufficient mechanism, to lower hospital prices and health care spending.
( )The Long-Term Care Medicaid Subcommittee submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed rule, “Medicare Program; Contract Year 2023 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs.” The comments focused on dual-eligible special needs plans (D-SNP’s) and separate medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements.
( )Medicare Committee Chairperson Rina Vertes and Academy Senior Health Fellow Cori Uccello submitted a statement for the record to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth regarding the Feb. 2 hearing, “The Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and the Future of Medicare Financing.”
( )Academy President Maryellen Coggins submitted a letter to the Colorado Division of Insurance in advance of the upcoming stakeholder engagement process for the recently passed state law aimed to protect consumers from unfair discrimination in insurance practices. The comments addressed potential concerns of the law’s impact on casualty, health, and life insurance.
( )The Individual and Small Group Markets Committee submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) on the Draft 2023 Actuarial Value (AV) Calculator Methodology.
( )Comments, analysis, or explanatory material prepared for an external audience on behalf of an Academy group or the Academy as a whole; these include letters, memos, reports, and fact sheets.
Analyses of major actuarial or public policy issues written primarily for policy-makers, regulators, the news media, and the public.
Include white papers and monographs which are longer, more detailed analyses of major actuarial or public policy issues written primarily for policy-makers, regulators, the news media, and the public. Includes monographs and white papers.
Slides presented by the Academy at webinars, seminars, briefings, hearings, or other meetings and events.
The Academy works with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) on the creation and refinement of sensible, effective regulation. These reports and related documents highlight the NAIC-related work of the health practice councils.
Written and oral testimony provided to Congress or to other governmental and quasigovernmental bodies.
Practice notes offer examples of current and emerging approaches to selected actuarial tasks. They are intended to supplement the available actuarial literature, especially where the practices addressed are subject to evolving technology, recently adopted external requirements, or advances in actuarial science and other applicable disciplines.