Other Health documents
2011
Letter on Medicare to Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction
The Academy recently sent a comment letter to the members of the new Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction urging action to improve the long-term solvency and sustainability of the Medicare program. (8/31/11)
Actuarial Value issue brief released
The Academy released a new issue brief, Actuarial Value under the Affordable Care Act. The brief offers an overview of the concept of actuarial value and provides insight into the calculation of actuarial value under ACA. (July 2011)
Letter to CMS on Rate Review and Disclosure Forms
The Academy submits comments to CMS in response to the revised preliminary justification and consumer disclosure forms for purposes of rate review disclosure and reporting requirements (June 2011).
Fact sheet on Medicare Shared Savings Program and ACOs under the Affordable Care Act
The Academy released a new fact sheet that provides an overview of the Medicare Shared Savings Program and how ACOs are addressed in the Affordable Care Act. (June 2011)
ACO issue brief released
The Academy released a new issue brief, An Actuarial Perspective on Accountable Care Organizations. The brief provides an actuarial overview of ACOs and outlines a number of issues that stakeholders should evaluate as ACOs are implemented. (June 2011)
Risk-Sharing under ACA issue brief released
The Academy released a new issue brief, Risk Adjustment and Other Risk-Sharing Provisions in the Affordable Care Act. The brief provides an overview of the various risk-sharing mechanisms in ACA and the risks each mechanism can mitigate. (June 2011)
Comments to CMS on ACO proposed regulation
The Academy submits comments to CMS in response to proposed regulations on accountable care organizations and the Medicare Shared Savings Program under ACA. (June 2011)
2010
The Joint Committee on Retiree Health and the Pension Accounting Committee jointly submitted comments to the NAIC regarding the exposure draft of SSAP 92 (OPEBs) and proposed revisions to SSAP 89 (pensions) (September 2010)
The Health Practice Financial Reporting Committee sent a commentletter to the chair of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' (NAIC) Blanks Working Group on the proposed changes to the NAIC's Health Annual Statement Instructions.
Letter to congressional leaders on Health Reform Implementation (March 24, 2010)
Letter to congressional leaders urging them to reconsider issues already approved in legislative form and to consider the implications of additional proposals to include in a reconciliation package as part of the health reform process (March 2010)
Letter to the White House and all invitees of the Feb. 25 bipartisan health summit stressing critical actuarial aspects of health reform legislation that will need to be addressed to support the stated goals of reducing the number of uninsured, increasing the availability and affordability of coverage, and enhancing the focus on quality of care and health spending growth (February 2010)
Letter to NAIC regarding the joint Academy State LTC Task Force and SOA Valuation Committee project to develop and recommend valuation morbidity tables for long-term care insurance (February 2010)
Comments on the draft revisions to the Medicare Supplement Compliance Manual(February 2010)
Written testimony to the Massachusetts House and Senate Joint Committee on Financial Services regarding gender rating for disability insurance (February 2010)
Call to Action: Actuaries Urge Comprehensive Medicare Reform (February 2010)
Letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid highlighting some of the key differences on actuarial issues between the House’s Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962) and the Senate’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act(January 2010)
Report to help policymakers and the public understand the potential implications of an excise tax on high-cost employer-provided health plans (January 2010)
2009
Written testimony to NAIC outlining several issues NAIC would need to address, in terms of implementation at the state level, if federal health care reform is enacted (December 2009)
Comments on the "grandfathering provisions" contained in thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act and whether they would mitigate “rate shock” for those individuals who keep the coverage they have (November 2009)
Letter to Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, outlining key issues that need to be considered when evaluating whether the Senate’s health care reform bill will lead to a viable health insurance system and discussing whether the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act addresses the outlined issues (November 2009)
Letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader John Boehner providing an actuarial perspective on health insurance market reforms, outlining three criteria to ensure that the current markets remain viable, and offering comments on how certain provisions of the House’s Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962) conform with those criteria (November 2009)
Issue brief on Medicare Advantage payment reform (October 2009)
Analysis by the Academy and Society of Actuaries of the proposed structure and funding approaches in the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act (CLASS Act). The analysis shows premiums may exceed affordable levels for those in the intended population of the CLASS Act and is unlikely to cover more than a very small proportion of the intended population (July 2009)
Testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means outlining three criteria to ensure that the current markets remain viable and offering comments on how certain provisions of the Tri-Committee bill conform with those criteria (June 2009)
Slides and other information from an Academy Capitol Hill briefing on health care reform (June 2009)
Virtual Capitol Hill breifing on risk adjustment (May 2009)
Comments on the Women’s Health Insurance Fairness Act (May 2009)
Comments to Senate Finance Committee on expanding health coverage options (May 2009)
Emerging Data on Consumer-Driven Health Plans (May 2009monograph)
Slides and other information from an Academy Capitol Hill briefing (via webcast) on actuarial perspectives on health reform (May 2009)
Testimony on individual health insurance market reform (April 2009)
Slides and other information from an Academy Capitol Hill briefing onrisk pooling (March 2009)
2008
Comments on the Medical Hospital Quality Improvement Act(December 2008)
Slides and other information from an Academy Capitol Hill briefing onhealth spending growth (September 2008)
Implications for Increased Comparative Effectiveness Research(September 2008)
Report from the Health RBC Trend Test Work Group to the NAIC on evaluating the effectiveness of three proposed trend tests (August 2008)
Progress reports to the the NAIC from two Academy health RBC Work Groups (August 2008)
Progress report to the the NAIC from a long-term care RBC work group (August 2008)
Fundamentals of Insurance: Implications for Health Coverage (July 2008 issue brief)
Slides and other information from an Academy Capitol Hill briefing onactuarial equivalence (July 2008)
Testimony about dependent health benefits at an NCOIL public hearing (July 2008)
Election 2008 section (launched March 2008)
Letter to the editor, Los Angeles Times (June 2008)
Slides and other information from an Academy Capitol Hill briefing onrisk pooling (May 2008)
Written testimony for an NAIC hearing on increasing health costs, plus slides used in oral testimony (May 20008)
A practice note on certifying to the actuarial equivalence of a prescription drug plan or Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan under Medicare Part D (March 2008)
Comments on proposed changes in the actuarial opinion instructions for NAIC health annual statements (February 2008)
2007
A practice note about evaluating the impact of a disease management program on the cost and utilization of medical services (December 2007)
FAQs on HSAs: Frequently Asked Questions on Health Savings Accounts (October 2007)
Mental Health Parity: Often Separate, Usually Unequal (September 2007 issue brief)
Letter to Texas officials from the Joint Committee on Retiree Health about misinterpretations of the committee’s 2006 comments onaccounting standards for OPEBs (June 2007)
Testimony for a House hearing on using private reinsurance to expand the medical coverage offered by small businesses (May 24, 2007)
Comments to the NAIC Health Risk-Based Capital Working Group on a proposal to include a trend test in the health RBC formula (May 2007)
Comments to the NAIC Health Risk-Based Capital Working Group onproposed RBC treatment of medical insurance products for which active life reserves are held (May 2007)
Discussion paper on health premium deficiency reserves, with examples, common terms, and references to authoritative guidance (March 2007)
Progress report from the Stop-Loss Work Group (March 2007)
Power point presentation to the A&HWG by the LTC Principle-based Work Group, providing an update and requesting feedback on work to date (March 2007)
Comment letters to members of the House and Senate on the actuarial implications of restricting insurers' use of genetic information (February 2007)
Power point presentation to the A&HWG by the LTC Principle-based Work Group, providing an update and requesting feedback on work to date (March 2007)
2006
Comments on problems with the one-role-per-user rule for aMedicare RDS website (December 2006)
Progress report from the State Long-Term Care Principle-based Work Group (December 2006)
Progress report from the Stop-Loss RBC Work Group (December 2006)
Comments on ACLI's proposed long-term care experience form(December 2006)
Fact sheet on secondhand smoke exposure (October 2006 analysis, accompanied by news release)
Primer on health insurance risk pools (September 2006 issue brief, accompanied by news release)
Letter to Citizens’ Health Care Working Group on its interim recommendations for improving health care (August 2006)
Final practice note on group long-term disability insurance (August 2006)
Presentation to NAIC on principle-based long-term care valuation(June 2006)
Letters to FASB expressing concern over proposed changes in financial accounting standards for pensions and OPEBs, accompanied by news release (May 31, 2006)
Analysis of Senate small-business health insurance legislation (May 2006)
2005
Health Coverage Issues: The Insured and the Uninsured (December 2005)
Practice note on small-group medical reserves and liabilities (updated October 2005)
Pay for Performance: Rewarding Improvements in the Quality of Health Care (October 2005 issue brief)
Memo to the NAIC from the Medicare Part D Subgroup, with proposed health RBC instruction and health RBC formula changes, proposed life RBC instruction and life RBC formula changes, andexplanatory slides (September 2005)
Letter to the NAIC from the Long-Term Care Experience Subgroup, with proposed revisions to the LTC experience reporting instructionsand forms, as well as pertinent examples (September 2005)
Backgrounder on issues that should be considered in any effort to design a government-sponsored medical reinsurance program (September 2005)
Actuarial Certification of Rates for Medicaid Managed Care Programs (August 2005 practice note)
Letter to lawmakers opposing proposal to authorize non-actuarial statements of opininon for health reserves (July 2005)
Proposed LTC loss experience exhibit forms, with instructions andexamples (May 2005)
Comments on an HHS draft report about about genetic testingcoverage (May 2005)
Disease Management Programs: What's the Cost? (April 2005 issue brief)
Draft practice note on statutory reserves for disability income insurance (April 2005)
Frequently Asked Questions on Association Health Plans. (March 2005 issue brief)
Medical Reinsurance: Considerations for Designing a Government-Sponsored Program (January 2005 issue brief)
2004
Mental Health Parity: Often Separate, Usually Unequal (December 2004 issue brief)
Supplement to a June LTC RBC report to the NAIC (September 2004)
Tips on using the Rate Filing Task Force model (September 2004)
Testimony for a House hearing on the use of genetic information(July 22, 2004)
Medicare Modernization Act: Financial Issues for State Medicaid Programs (June 2004 issue brief)
The Academy's recommendation for a new long-term care RBC formula (June 2004)
Slides from an Academy Capitol Hill briefing on association health plan issues (May 14, 2004)
Rate Filing Task Force report on potential regulatory solutions for the closed block problem (May 2004)
A letter to GASB on accounting by governmental employers for other postemployment benefits (April 30, 2004)
Comments on an IRS notice concerning health savings accounts(March 30, 2004)
Statement for a House hearing on the uninsured (March 9, 2004)
"The Questions Candidates Should Answer About ... Americans Without Health Insurance" (An Election 2004 Guide to Analyzing the Issues; March 2004)
The Impact of Consumer-Driven Health Plans on Health Care Costs(January 2004 monograph )
2003
Health Coverage Issues: The Uninsured and the Insured (December 2003 issue brief)
Letter to the EEOC about a proposed retiree health benefit rule (Sept. 12, 2003)
Letter from the Long-Term Care Reserve Work Group on a proposed model valuation regulation (Sept. 10, 2003)
Letter from the Long-Term Care RBC Work Group (Sept. 8, 2003)
Letter from the Health Practice Financial Reporting Committee on reserves (Sept. 3, 2003)
Interim report from the Long-Term Care RBC Work Group (June 22, 2003)
Progress report from the LTC Reserving Work Group (June 2003)
A letter to Congress on the use of genetic information (May 22, 2003)
Practice note on pricing LTCI policies under the rate stability provisions of the NAIC's LTCI model regulation (May 2003)
Letter outlining the objectives of the Long Term Care Reserve Work Group (March 7, 2003)
Status report from the Health Liquidity Work Group (June 2003)
A letter to GASB regarding the actuarial measurement of retiree health benefits (May 20, 2003)
Slide presentation, "Medical Malpractice Reform: Is Now the Time?" Washington Forum session (May 9, 2003)
Slide presentation,"For the Life, Health, and Annuity Actuary: International Accounting Issues" Washington Forum session (May 9, 2003)
Comment letter to members of Congress on AHP legislation (April 28, 2003)
2002
Group and Health Coverage in the Wake of Sepember 11 (December 2002 monograph)
Status report of the Task Force on Health Insurance Rate Filing (December 2002)
Status report from the Health Liquidity Work Group (December 2002)
Status report of the LTC RBC Work Group (December 2002)
Status report on draft LTC practice note (December 2002)
A letter to GASB about a proposed standard for post-retirement benefit plans (Dec. 13, 2002)
A letter to the EEOC on the Erie County ruling (Oct. 16, 2002)
A statement from the Life Products Committee to the National Conference of Insurance Legislators on life and disability insurance issues related to a proposed model law addressing genetic discrimination (July 13, 2002)
Understanding Defined Contribution Health Plans (June 2002 issue brief)
- The Bottom Line on Understanding Defined Contribution Health Plans (June 2002)
The Use of Genetic Information in Disability Income and Long-Term Care Insurance (Spring 2002 issue brief)
- The Bottom Line on the Use of Genetic Information in Disability Income and Long-Term Care Insurance (Spring 2002)
An outline of possible methods of addressing the Erie County ruling (April 11, 2002)
Comments to the speaker of the House on AHP provisions in patient protection legislation (April 9, 2002)
Progress report from the Health Liquidity Work Group (March 2002)
Progress report from the LTC Work Group to the NAIC Senior Issues Task Force (March 2002)
Progress report from the LTC Work Group to the NAIC Accident and Health Working Group (March 2002)
Status report from the Stop-Loss Health RBC Work Group (life) (March 2002)
Status report from the Stop-Loss Health RBC Work Group (March 2002)
Statement for House Ways and Means Committee hearing on health care tax credits (Feb. 13, 2002)
An updated comparison of the NAIC's life, P/C, and health RBC formulas (Feb. 12, 2002)
Comments on NAIC accounting guidelines (January 2002)
2001
Status report of the LTC Work Group (December 2001)
HRBC Task Force report (Dec. 8, 2001)
Risk Classification in Voluntary Individual Disability Income and Long-Term Care Insurance (Winter 2001 issue brief)
Status report of the LTC Work Group (September 2001)
A report from the HRBC Work Group on asset codification (September 2001)
Comments from the Health Financial Reporting Committee on SSAP 54 (Aug. 29, 2001)
Federal Tax Incentives for Long-Term Care Insurance: Actuarial Issues and Public Policy Implications (Summer 2001 issue brief and Bottom Line)
The Effects of Proposed Patient Protection Legislation on Managed Care(Spring 2001 issue brief)
Comments on proposed qualification requirements for life and health actuaries (March 29, 2001)
Risk Classification in Voluntary Individual Disability Income and Long-Term Care Insurance (Winter 2001 issue brief)
Report on disability income RBC (March 2001)
Report from Asset Codification Work Group (March 2001)
Comment letter on changing the health RBC formula (January 2001)
Before 2001
A report from the HORBC Task Force (December 2000)
A progress report from the HORBC Asset Codification Work Group(December 2000)
A progress report from the HORBC Task Force (September 2000)
Letter to ASB on LTC model regulation (August 14, 2000)
Genetic Information and Medical Expense Insurance (June 2000 monograph)
Progress report from the HORBC Task Force (March 2000)
Comments to HHS on proposed privacy information standards (Feb. 17, 2000)
Risk Classification in Individually Purchased Voluntary Medical Expense Insurance (February 1999 issue paper)
Long-term Care: Actuarial Issues in Designing Voluntary Federal-Private LTC Insurance Programs (January 1999)
Patient Protection and Managed Care ( Winter 1999)
Managed Care Under Medicaid : Savings, Access and Quality (April 1996)
DI/LTC/LB Working Group progress report (June 1999)
RBC Formula Treatment for Stop-Loss Coverage to the HORBC and the RBC Working Groups (April 20, 1999)
RBC Formula Treatment for Health Insurance Products (March 3,1999)
Preliminary Recommendations on the Development of a Health Liquidity Test (Dec. 3, 1998)
Sponsored Organization (PSO) Solvency (Feb. 18, 1998)
Health rate filing guidelines letter to NAIC Accident and Health Working Group (Feb. 24, 2000)
Risk Classification in Individually Purchased Voluntary Medical Expense Insurance (February 1999)
Loss Ratio Work Group (November 1998)
Academy Comments on Title I of the Patient Protection Act (Oct. 5, 1998)
Exposure of Health Related Statements of Statutory Accounting Principles (May 5, 1998)
Mental Health Parity Work Group, Federal Health Committee (March 23, 1998)
Exposure of Health Related Issue Papers/Statement of Statutory Accounting Principles (SSAPs) (March 6, 1998)
The Academy's Health Organizations Risk-Based Capital Simplification Task Force issues a final report regarding health risk based capital. (May 29, 1996)
Medical Malpractice Tort Reform: Lessons from the States (Fall 1996)
Universal Access in a Voluntary Private-Sector Market (February 1996)
MSAs: Family Medical Savings and Investment Act of 1995 Analysis (October 1995)
MSAs: Cost and Design Issues (May 1995)
Medical Savings Accounts (Summer 1995)
The Academy's Health Organizations Risk Based Capital Task Force submits a report to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Health Organizations Risk Based Capital Working Group related to Risk Based Capital(RBC), including identifying risks that health organizations encounter and recommending an RBC formula reflecting the risks that would apply to all types of health organizations. (December 1994)
1994 Health Care Monograph Summary: What's Really at Stake inHealth Care Reform—1994 and After (April 1995)
General Considerations (doc. no. PN001/H95-01)
Small Group Medical Business(doc. no. PN002/H95-02)
Large Group Medical Business (doc. no. PN003/H95-03)
Individual Major Medical Business (doc. no. PN004/H95-04)
Individual Disability Income Insurance (doc. no. PN005/H95-05)
Group Long-Term Disability Income Insurance (doc. no. PN006/H95-06)
Medicare Supplement (doc. no. PN007/H95-07)
Small Group Certification (doc. no. PN008/H95-08)
Long-Term Care Insurance (doc. no. PN009/H95-09)
