Announcements

• On April 28, retirement community leaders from across the country will take part in the Academy’s Retirement for the AGES: Measuring for Success forum highlighting the Academy’s new AGES (Alignment, Governance, Efficiency, and Sustainability) framework in assessing retirement plans and proposals. The forum at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington will include a review of the framework, presentations of policy proposals to increase retirement security, and panel discussions assessing retirement plans and proposals using the AGES framework. Breakfast and lunch will be served. All members are invited to attend and may click here to register.
  

Public Policy Activities

• The Academy launched its Health Cost/Quality of Care initiative at an April 7 Capitol Hill Briefing as part of its continuing effort to provide objective, unbiased information to serve the public and the U.S. actuarial profession. The initiative points to several promising areas of focus for policymakers seeking to sustain and extend the slowdown in U.S. health cost increases. At the briefing, Audrey Halvorson, chairperson of the Academy’s Health Care Costs Work Group, unveiled a new series of issue briefs, “Examining the Health Care Equation,” and Susan Pantely, chairperson of the Academy’s Models of Care Delivery Subgroup, reviewed the first brief, “New Models of Care Delivery.”

Alert

• MAP-21 discount rate extension: The U.S. Senate passed a bill on April 7 that delays the phase-out of pension funding stabilization provisions in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act until 2018. To read the full alert, log in to the membership page and visit “Pension Alerts.”

Opportunities to Learn

• The Academy’s April 22 post-NAIC/PBA webinar will provide an update of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Spring 2014 National Meeting. The webinar, which will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. Eastern time, will include an account of the most recent Life Actuarial (A) Task Force meeting, a discussion of activities at the Life Risk-Based Capital (E) Working Group meeting, an update on VM-22 development, and a review of the recently exposed Life Principle-Based Reserves Under VM-20 practice note. Register now.
• This month’s “Academy Capitol Forum: Meet the Experts” webinar, “Disability Insurance Trust Fund: Behind the Numbers with SSA’s Chief Actuary,” will take place April 23 from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern. Speaker Steve Goss, SSA chief actuary, will provide an overview of the disability insurance program, and discuss its projected solvency and cost drivers, as well as policymakers’ proposed reforms to the program. Learn more and register now.
• Do you wish to qualify to sign the NAIC annual statement actuarial opinions, but you haven’t met the basic education requirements set forth in Section 3.1.1 of the U.S. Qualification Standards? Acquire the required basic and continuing education at the 2014 Life and Health Qualifications Seminar, which will take place Nov. 10–13 in Arlington, Va. Learn more and register now.

Reminder

• The nomination period is open for the Robert J. Myers Public Service Award and the Jarvis Farley Service Award, so don’t put off nominating a deserving Academy member. The Myers award recognizes actuaries in public service who have made an exceptional contribution to the common good. The Farley award is given to Academy members whose volunteer efforts on behalf of the Academy have made significant contributions to the advancement of the profession. 

Academy in the News

• A New York Times article on the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) cited an Academy statement on adverse selection and rate stability.
• The launch of the Academy’s new Health Cost/Quality of Care initiative was covered by InsuranceNewsNet, Insurance Broadcasting, Pharmacy Choice and other media outlets.
• Pension Practice Council Chairperson Eli Greenblum was quoted in a Bankrate.com Retirement Blog posting, “Multiemployer pensions need help.”
• A Forbes article on late-life divorce cited the Academy.
• The Academy’s announcement regarding joining the National Retirement Planning Coalition was reported by BenefitsLink.

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