Tracking Health Insurance for
Actuaries
Greetings!
While changes to the Affordable Care Act caused uncertainty in years past, current events are creating complete unknowns. As this newsletter is being produced, the U.S. continues to battle COVID-19. Actuaries are providing vitally important information to the business community, health leaders and policy makers at a historically difficult time. The public health crisis will be top-of-mind at the Society of Actuaries' Annual Health Meeting, which will be held virtually June 8 and 9. Learn more here and plan to attend.
ACA Enrollment Report
State Exchanges Gain Strength
When the individual mandate was ruled unconstitutional, some observers expected enrollment in the ACA to drop off. Final enrollment figures from CMS tell a different story. Read the report.

Pandemic Effect
 Rate-Setting During a Health Crisis
These are unprecedented times for health insurers as they prepare to submit rate requests for the 2021 enrollment season. Concerns over the impact on insurance rates permeate the health news media. Reporters want to know: Will premiums go up? I sort through the variables here.
The ACA@10
To commemorate the recent 10-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (and examine a decade's worth of data), a team from the Society of Actuaries collaborated to produce a series of white papers that review the law's widespread impact. I was pleased to take part in this effort. The ACA has succeeded in many ways, but there is much room for improvement. Learn more.
Society of Actuaries covid19 research
SOA COVID-19 Research
Soon after COVID-19 reached the U.S., the Society of Actuaries began producing a steady drumbeat of information for actuarial professionals. There are more than a dozen research reports, tools, models and surveys that can be accessed here. Check back often because the list keeps growing.

What's in the CARES Act?
Billions of dollars in emergency funding have been allocated to stem the rise of COVID-19 and stop the U.S. economic free-fall. Two key pieces of Congressional legislation underpin these efforts. Learn more.
American Academy of Actuaries FAQs on covid19
In quick response to the public health crisis, on March 24 the American Academy of Actuaries published FAQs on COVID-19 and its effect on health spending and health insurance. The Academy updates the site as new information becomes available. Access it here.
NAIC Resources
The National Association of Insurance Commissions (NAIC) Coronavirus Resource Center supports insurance professionals in understanding and managing the associated risks. It is regularly updated and includes a detailed, state-by-state list of actions taken in response to the pandemic. The NAIC Resource Center is here.
SAVE THE DATE
Society of Actuaries 2020 Annual Meeting 
October 25-28, 2020
Seattle, Washington

MEDIA COVERAGE

PODCASTS

Pennsylvania Insurance Department Chief of Staff Mike Humphreys provided an insider's look at how a regulatory agency operates when I interviewed him about how the state is addressing COVID-19.

To mark the 10-year anniversary of the ACA, Jacki Lee interviewed three Society of Actuary authors about their white paper, “Fifty States, Fifty Stories: A Decade of Health Care Reform Under the Affordable Care Act,” which uses a decade of data from a variety of sources.

Lewis & Ellis actuary Traci Hughes provides an excellent overview of telehealth based on her recent publication “The Big Three of Telehealth: Three Benefits, Three Obstacles, Three Delivery Systems."

Actuary Jim Toole evaluated the impact of swine flu a decade ago. I talked to him about how those lessons can be applied to today's health crisis.

Medicare Part D: A Primer - Learn about the complex settlements that occur between CMS, PMBs and health plans.

The widespread lack of dental insurance in the U.S. is prompting health policy makers to explore ways to address this gap.

Healthcare payers are facing a whole host of issues related to COVID-19. Three actuaries from Milliman discuss how the issues will impact insurers in the coming weeks.

Sara Teppema, President of Alta Advisors and long-time Society of Actuaries leader, discusses achieving work/life balance, leading in times of uncertainty, and what the future holds for health actuaries.