Public Policy Issue Briefs

Loan Programs for Underfunded Multiemployer Plans
Multiemployer Plans Committee issue brief discussing the costs and risks associated with multiemployer loan programs, and the ways in which these programs could benefit troubled plans and their participants.  (May 4, 2018)
Social Security — Automatic Adjustments
Social Security Committee issue brief examining automatic adjustment options to address Social Security's financial challenges. (May 4, 2018)
The Pension Protection Act: Successes, Shortcomings, and Opportunities for Improvement
Pension Committee issue brief that analyzes the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) and its subsequent amendments against the principles underlying funding reform. (April 6, 2018)
Prescription Drug Spending in the U.S. Health Care System
Prescription Drug Work Group issue brief highlighting prescription drug issues present in our health care system, including cost drivers, the effect on various stakeholders, and possible approaches that might help address the health care cost growth associated with prescription drugs. (March 7, 2018)
High-Performance Networks
High-Performance Network Work Group issue paper on addressing the growth in health care spending through high-performance networks, which generally focus on delivering high-quality care that also is efficient care. These networks generally result in lower total costs for health programs. (February 26, 2018)
The Role of Tax Policy in Promoting Retirement Security
Retirement System Assessment and Policy Committee issue brief on the role of U.S. tax policy in retirement security. (December 28, 2017)
End-of-Life Care in an Aging World: A Global Perspective
Health Practice International Committee issue brief on global aging demographics, quality of life during the end-of-life period, palliative versus curative care, and strategies for address health care challenges at the end of life using case studies from a variety of countries. 
(December 6, 2017)
State-Based Retirement Initiatives
Retirement System Assessment and Policy Committee issue brief on state-based initiatives to expand retirement coverage among workers who do not have access to employer-sponsored plans, and the alignment of these efforts with the Academy’s Retirement for the AGES principles. (November 29, 2017)
Comparative Effectiveness Research
Health Care Delivery Committee issue brief providing an actuarial overview of comparative effectiveness research, including measuring its impact and its potential to reduce health care costs. (November 17, 2017)
An Actuarial Perspective on the 2017 Social Security Trustees Report
Social Security Committee issue brief on 2017 Social Security Trustees Report examining the program’s long-term solvency issues and recommending that Congress should act soon to improve the long-term financial outlook of the program. (July 31, 2017)
Claim Reserve Assumption Basis for Long-Term Disability Policies
Tax Work Group issue brief on the implications of calculating tax-deductible claim reserves based on incurral date versus issue date for long-term disability insurance policies. (July 28, 2017)
Cost-Sharing Reductions: What Are They and Why Do They Need to Be Funded?
Health Practice Council paper on what cost-sharing reductions are and why they need to be funded. (July 24, 2017)
Medicare’s Financial Condition: Beyond Actuarial Balance
Medicare Subcommittee issue brief on significant concerns about Medicare’s long-term financial health.  (July 19, 2017)
Risk Pooling: How Health Insurance in the Individual Market Works
Health Practice Council FAQ on how risk pooling in the individual health insurance market works. (July 14, 2017)
Assessing Pension Plan Health: More Than One Right Number Tells the Whole Story
Pension Practice Council issue brief that explores various methods to measure the financial health of pension plans. (July 13, 2017)
Drivers of 2018 Health Insurance Premium Changes
Individual and Small Group Markets Committee issue brief providing an overview of the general factors underlying premium rate setting and highlighting the major components driving premium changes in 2018. (July 11, 2017)
Multiemployer Pension Plans: Potential Paths Forward
Multiemployer Committee issue brief explores options to address failing multiemployer plans and ways to strengthen the multiemployer pension system. (June 27, 2017)
Life Insurance and Annuities: The Impacts of Regulatory Requirements on Consumer Cost and Choice
Government Mandates Work Group issue brief providing information on the impact of laws and regulations on consumer cost and consumer choice for annuity and life insurance benefits. (June 15, 2017)
Women and Social Security
Social Security Committee issue brief that discusses gender-related factors that can cause differences to the benefits women and men receive from Social Security. (May 12, 2017)
How Changes to Health Insurance Market Rules Would Affect Risk Adjustment
Risk Sharing Subcommittee issue brief examining the risk adjustment program implemented under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the implications for the program under different potential changes to current insurance market rules. (May 10, 2017)