By Ted Gotsch
Policy Content and Publications Manager
The Academy is less than three weeks out from its highest profile policy event of the year. Passionate volunteers will soon be heading to the nation’s capital to spread the word to congressional staff about what actuaries do and how actuaries—and the Academy—can help Congress better address the key public policy concerns that we are all trying to tackle.
Our annual Capitol Hill visits will bring together 40-plus volunteers across all five policy practice councils, along with Academy staff, on March 10. Our focus will be the key public policy areas identified in the Academy’s online Policy Forum: aging and financial security; artificial intelligence (AI) and data; the impact of climate events; investments and financial reporting; and access to and the affordability of insurance.
These policy priority areas—identified by the Casualty, Health, Life, Retirement, and Risk Management and Financial Reporting councils—will be the focus of the many conversations planned for Hill visits, reinforcing the Academy’s mission to serve as the preeminent source of actuarial expertise and professional insight to policymakers.
And, for the first time, Hill visits will be paired with the Academy’s new Spring Policy Summit, a daylong event on March 9 featuring panels discussing key legislative, regulatory, and professionalism matters. The summit is open to Academy members as well as those participating in Hill Visits, and non-members and can attend in-person or virtually—learn more and register here.
“The Academy provides Congress and congressional committees with independent, objective actuarial analysis on complex issues involving risk assessment, financial security, and long-term sustainability,” said David Alpher, the Academy’s director of Federal Public Policy Outreach, in a recent episode of the Actuary Voices podcast.
Academy volunteers, he noted, “possess specialized and recognized knowledge that can help those policymakers understand the financial implications of proposed legislation affecting pensions, insurance, health care, and social insurance programs.”
Instead of the traditional lobbying that many other Washington-based trade and policy groups engage in, the Academy provides information and perspective intended to educate and empower decision-makers. Our work helps Congress and other stakeholders in Washington, D.C., better understand the issues at play and the potential consequences of proposed solutions. This expertise and balanced insight mean that it is possible for decision-makers to make more informed decisions, with the aim of optimal results for the public they and the Academy serve.
Leading up to Hill visits, Academy members and staff will strategize about how best to engage with congressional staff who are often responsible for a broad portfolios of issues. Volunteers will arrive prepared to answer questions and find out more about Congressional needs and priorities during this important midterm election year.
That said, conversations held with policymakers during this time shouldn’t be viewed as the end point of discussions or a once-a-year exercise. Rather, they are an opportunity for volunteers to engage and continue the conversations and relationships that we nurture and maintain throughout the year and across multiple years. Together, these meetings are part of the Academy’s broader engagement strategy as we continue to expand and grow these relationships.
Keep an eye on this space next month to find out how Hill visits went and to learn more about discussions on top issues of concern for both Congress and the Academy’s membership. If you are curious about last year’s Hill visits, check out our 2025 blog.