End of Election Season Means Real Policy Work is About to Begin

By Ted Gotsch 
Senior Policy Analyst, Content and Publications 

It’s almost over. 

All the ads, all the solicitations, all the endless chatter from political talking heads—the 2024 presidential election season has been a lot, and most of us won’t miss it. 

No matter what your personal feelings about what the Nov. 5 outcome might be, it doesn’t change the fact there still is—and will be—a lot of policy work to do.  

The Academy’s mission remains the same, regardless of election outcomes and the shift in priorities at the federal, state, and international levels. Issues like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, climate change, artificial intelligence (AI), and cyber security still need to be addressed by policymakers, and the Academy will continue to lead by sharing and highlighting the actuarial expertise our members and volunteers bring to those discussions. 

Earlier this year, the Academy unveiled the Election 2024: Issues Clearinghouse in an effort to raise awareness about six “mega-issues”—retirement security, health care, climate change, AI, cyber security, and risk management. It was, and is, a trusted resource for members and policy wonks to gain independent, unbiased insight on these important, influential, and universal topics. 

After the election, look for the rebranded Policy Issues Clearinghouse, which will continue to spotlight publications, research, and presentations on top issues—many of which will echo what we’ve been talking about during and well before the election. We hope the revamped site will continue to be a one-stop shop for those looking for the best in nonpartisan policy content presented through an actuarial lens. 

That is but a sample, however, of the kinds of policy work the Academy will continue to do in the months ahead. Volunteer committee members and staff will spend the next several months planning our annual Hill visits in the spring. These visits will be particularly valuable, as the Academy will meet with congressional and federal agency officials to share our members’ actuarial expertise across all practice areas—casualty, health, life, retirement, and risk management.   

And let’s not forget the Academy’s ongoing work at the state level. We will continue to engage with the insurance commissioners and regulators at the NAIC, as well as with state insurance legislators at NCOIL and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCLS). 

All of this is to say that the Academy looks forward to a productive 2025, where we will continue to offer policymakers at all levels of government actuarial leadership, objective expertise, and perspective on the issues and proposed solutions that will impact consumers and the insurance and financial security industries. Because while elections may come and go, policy is forever!