During the Academy’s annual Capitol Hill Visits, volunteers meet with congressional and regulatory staff to share objective, nonpartisan analysis on pressing policy issues. Their input informs decisions, raises the profession’s profile, and deepens volunteers’ understanding of how their work shapes public outcomes.
For more than 20 years, Academy volunteers have participated in annual Capitol Hill Visits to support the organization’s public service mission. More recently, the Academy has been hosting these Hill Visits on a single day in the spring, bringing together all five policy practice councils for an annual “actuaries visit Washington” day, but the purpose remains the same. Volunteers bring actuarial insight and objective expertise to congressional committee staff and individual member offices, addressing key policy issues across practice areas, including Medicare, Social Security, climate events, lifetime income, and artificial intelligence (AI). These conversations play an essential role in helping the Academy demonstrate who we are and how we support policymakers.
With preparations in full gear for the upcoming Hill Visits on March 10, both first-time and returning participants share their experiences in this article.
Reflections on My First Hill Visit
As members of a profession driven by data, modeling, and objective analysis, actuaries bring a unique perspective to discussions about programs that touch millions of Americans, from health care to climate change to Social Security. As part of its mission to provide independent actuarial input on key policy issues, the Academy annually arranges for actuaries to visit Capitol Hill to explain how actuarial expertise can help inform public policy.
In 2025, I had the privilege of participating in my first Hill Visit with a group of about 40 other actuaries who volunteer on the Academy’s life, retirement, health, casualty, and risk management and financial reporting practice councils. It was the first time that the Life Practice Council was represented. As a life actuary whose Academy participation focuses mainly on tax issues, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
After arriving in Washington, D.C., we attended a training session where the Academy’s public policy staff provided practical and strategic guidance on how to approach the Hill Visits. There was an opportunity for role-playing interactions with congressional staff, including how to engage them and which topics to avoid. We were then divided into smaller groups with complementary areas of expertise, allowing us to tailor our conversations to the committees we were assigned to visit. My team included both life and retirement actuaries.
While I’ve been to Washington, D.C. many times and visited the Capitol building as a child, this visit offered a perspective I hadn’t experienced before. Our meetings took place in the Senate and House office buildings, where state flags line the hallways and special “Members Only” elevators carry elected officials to their appointments. Observing the government going about its daily business in these spaces provided a clearer sense of how congressional work unfolds behind the scenes.
The first meeting my team attended was with staff from the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Much of the discussion focused on the challenges facing the Social Security Disability program, particularly how staffing reductions have slowed benefit approvals. The staff also expressed interest in topics such as ERISA and PBGC premiums, and the growing attention around lifetime income options in retirement plans. While the discussion was largely outside my area of expertise, it was interesting to hear how actuarial insights could help illuminate the policy trade-offs involved in these issues.
Later, my team met with staff from the Senate Finance Committee. The conversation centered on a proposal championed by Sen. Ron Wyden to create child savings accounts, a concept that eventually appeared in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. As actuaries, we were able to provide perspective on how savings patterns, investment design, and longevity expectations could influence long-term outcomes for such a program.
Our next stop was the House Budget Committee, where we met with the chief economist. This meeting underscored how valuable the Academy’s educational role can be, since not every congressional staffer is familiar with the actuarial profession. Our Social Security expert explained the implications of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund’s projected depletion and why acting sooner rather than later would provide policymakers with a broader range of options.
One of the most interesting conversations of the day was with a staff member from the House Veterans Affairs Committee. He was relatively new to the Hill and had limited experience with insurance and retirement concepts but was a veteran himself, so he was personally invested in our discussion. We talked with him about veterans’ life insurance benefits and the importance of financial literacy for service members transitioning to civilian life. The Academy staff offered to send educational materials, and the staffer asked whether the Academy might testify at a future hearing, a strong sign that these visits truly make an impression.
Participating in the Hill Visits underscored the value actuaries can bring to the policymaking process beyond our technical day-to-day work. I encourage actuaries who can take part in a visit to consider doing so. It offers a practical way to support informed public policy and to represent the profession in an area where our expertise is increasingly relevant.
—Mary Elizabeth Caramagno, MAAA, FSA, member of the Life Practice Council (LPC) and past chairperson of the LPC’s Tax Committee
Bringing Forward the Unique Actuarial Perspective
As the chair for the Committee on Cyber Risk, I participated in the Hill Visits in 2024 and 2025. Prior to the visits, Academy staff organized a session to review the purpose of the visits, the Academy’s history, antitrust and conflict of interest policies, its position to not advocate for specific positions, and its mission to provide expert, objective actuarial analysis of relevant legislation and regulations.
In 2024, Cyber Risk Committee members visited the Office of the National Cyber Director to discuss their initiatives and policies; the Consumer Federation of America to hear consumer perspectives and areas of focus; the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Development Committee to discuss CAT and affordability issues; the House Financial Services Committee to discuss the insurance market, catastrophe, and availability and affordability topics; the Congressional Budget Office with a focus on cyber, flood, hurricanes, catastrophic risk, terrorism, and pandemics; the Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection to discuss cybersecurity and TRIA; and the Federal Insurance Office to share our perspective on federal catastrophic incident response, which their office has been engaged in over the past year.
We also joined by the other Casualty Practice Council (CPC) Committees on Climate, Extreme Events, Workers’ Comp, Homeowners, and AI in several meetings when schedules permitted. A follow-up meeting was held to brief participants on topics discussed and outline next steps.
For the 2025 Hill Visits, CPC volunteers were organized into three different groups aligned with their expertise across different committees. Team 1 was led by Susan Kent, Team 2 by Lisa Slotznick, and Team 3 by Seong-min Eom. Each team had different committee members during the visit.
I belonged to Team 2 and we visited:
- Sen. Bill Cassidy to discuss subjects related to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), including legislation to extend the NFIP;
- House Financial Services for the NFIP and the impact of climate events on insurance;
- House Homeland Security committee to discuss AI and cybersecurity;
- House Financial Services committee to discuss AI, digital finance, and cybersecurity; and
- Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for the NFIP and the impact of climate events
on insurance.
Several key property & casualty/climate risk topics were discussed during the Hill Visits, aligned with subjects addressed at many NAIC national meetings: climate change and catastrophe modeling; flood insurance reform; insurance availability and affordability; AI and big data; and cyber risk, including the latest trends in cyber insurance and the Academy’s interaction with the NAIC H Committee Cybersecurity Working Group.
The Hill Visits provide significant value to the actuarial profession in several ways: elevating the profession’s visibility; demonstrating thought leadership; influencing policy with technical expertise; building relationships with policymakers; professional development and engagement; and strengthening the Academy’s mission.
The Hill Visits and other meetings held throughout the year help public stakeholders gain a greater understanding of the Academy’s role as the the public policy voice for the U.S. actuarial profession, the importance of the U.S. actuarial profession, and the unique actuarial perspective on many public policy issues.
Getting involved in Hill Visits is a great way to contribute to the profession and public policy. The Academy has many practice councils (Health, Life, Pension, P&C, Risk Management) and committees (e.g., Cyber Risk, AI, Climate). Volunteering with one of these groups is often the first step toward participating in Hill Visits.
—Wanchin Chou, MAAA, FCAS,
chairperson, Committee on Cyber Risk
Actuaries as Public-Interest Partners
It’s one thing to analyze long-term financial projections from your desk; it’s another entirely to walk the halls of Congress and translate that analysis into direct, meaningful insights for those shaping national policy. That principle is one of the Academy’s primary missions, and I remember being deeply impressed by it when I first became a member: a commitment not only to the actuarial profession, but fundamentally to the public interest. I knew then that I wanted my professional journey to include contributing to that larger purpose.
For me, the annual Hill Visit has become one of the most direct and tangible expressions of that goal—a chance to apply our actuarial knowledge and skills in service of the public good. There is a profound satisfaction in knowing that, even in a small way, I can participate in that process and engage with those who shape our nation’s policies.
While the Academy is in continuous dialogue with policymakers—sharing our papers and providing analysis throughout the year—the annual Hill Visit holds unique significance. It’s a focused, structured event that brings actuaries from multiple practice areas together for a common purpose, enhancing our teamwork and sharpening our message. It was particularly meaningful for me to help establish the first joint visit between the Risk Management and Financial Reporting Council and the Casualty Practice Council and to see that collaborative spirit come to life. Stepping into those congressional office buildings with your actuarial team is a powerful experience.
What surprised me most, though, wasn’t the grandeur of the buildings, but the dynamic quality of the conversations. The congressional staffers and agency experts we meet are smart, well researched, and genuinely trying to tackle incredibly complex problems. They aren’t expecting us to have all the answers but to share a perspective they can’t get anywhere else. We’re not there to push an agenda; we’re just there to be a resource.
I’ve had discussions about the emerging risks from climate change and the use of AI, big data, and machine learning; the difficult balance of insurance affordability; and the long-term pressures on Medicare, Social Security, and long-term care systems from an aging population. What I find most fascinating is how these seemingly separate issues all weave together into the broader questions of community sustainability. For instance, a conversation on the impacts of an aging population might begin with Medicare, but it can quickly expand to other areas. I learn so much from the holistic view that policymakers bring, and it’s in these moments that the value of our team approach becomes clear. A health actuary might speak to the specific vulnerabilities of seniors. As someone focused on climate, I can then provide context on how a significant weather event, influenced by broader climate patterns, can intensify those risks, which allows a casualty expert to explain the downstream effects on property insurance and community resilience. It’s a powerful demonstration that our profession can serve as a reliable, nonpartisan resource across a surprisingly wide range of critical topics.
This experience gives back to you personally, too. It challenges you to distill complex actuarial concepts into clear, relevant insights that speak directly to the policy questions at hand. You also get to connect with fellow actuaries from different practice areas, all united by a shared commitment to public service. It’s a wonderful reminder that our skills are not just for our day jobs; they are tools that can directly support the public’s long-term security.
I know the idea of “going to the Hill” can sound intimidating, but it’s truly a rewarding and collaborative experience. The Academy’s influence comes from volunteers like us sharing what we know. If you’re a junior actuary curious to see how our analysis informs the policy process, or a senior actuary wanting to contribute in a new way, I’d really encourage you to look into it. Getting involved—whether by helping with an issue brief or joining a visit—is a chance to use your expertise to make a quiet but meaningful difference.
—Seong-min Eom, MAAA, FSA, chairperson of the Climate Change Joint Committee and member, Risk Management and Financial Reporting Council
The Long Game in Policy
One of the core missions of the Academy is to carry forward the knowledge and capabilities of actuaries to support the public policy dialogue. Volunteers bring their individual expertise to bear on this mission, and the Academy helps channel that expertise to maximize its influence with policymakers.
I’ve participated in a number of Capitol Hill Visits over the years, most often to agencies like the Government Accountability Office, Congressional Budget Office, and Congressional Research Service. Their function is not so different from ours, as they work to shed light on policy issues and identify potential solutions. So, there is an inherent connection, and we strive to build an environment of mutual support.
We’ve also met on occasion with individual legislators’ policy staff members. They usually express active interest in a narrower set of policy topics that are of immediate political interest. But the meetings also provide opportunities to raise awareness of broader, contextual issues that they may not be actively focused on currently but could become important in the future.
Back in the 2000s, there was an extremely active interest in pension funding reform. The Academy and other groups invested considerably in analyzing various policy alternatives, and there was a significant opportunity to influence the policy dialogue within the executive and legislative branches. We sought to support and help shape the emerging reform proposals, and I believe we succeeded in doing so.
It is now becoming obvious that the dialogue about Social Security reform solutions will be heating up in the coming years as that system’s trust fund heads toward depletion. Once again, we want to provide our expertise and actively support that policy conversation. While serious reform discussions have yet to begin, our meetings help raise awareness of our intellectual-capital capabilities, and build relationships that position the Academy as a trusted source when that policy dialogue heats up.
I have noted that sometimes committee members may get frustrated, as the lack of immediate action on critical issues may make it seem that the work on relationship building and policy analysis is not yielding results. But it’s important to realize that the political arena operates on its own timetable. Our time now is well spent if it enables us to become established as a trusted resource, with support structures that are well known to Capitol Hill staff.
—Jerry Mingione, MAAA, FSA, member, Social Security and Pension Committees
Strengthening Policy, the Profession, and Volunteer Experience
For Academy volunteers who have yet to participate in Hill Visits, these are a series of meetings, coordinated and scheduled by Academy staff, that are designed as focused, strategic engagements where Academy volunteers meet with members of Congress, legislative staff, regulatory agencies, and other policymakers to discuss public policy issues that involve actuarial considerations.
The purpose of each meeting is to establish and maintain relationships with policymakers, allow them to ask the Academy volunteers questions about issues they are working on that are actuarial in nature, and to identify opportunities where the Academy might be able to provide objective, independent, and nonpartisan actuarial insights that help clarify complex issues and inform evidence-based policymaking.
Through these meetings, the Academy is able to connect legislative and regulatory decision-makers with existing Academy work products and actuarial expertise. These meetings also provide the Academy with important insights that shape the direction of ongoing and future Academy committee work.
For policymakers, the value of Hill Visits is unmistakable: By making its resources and expertise available, the Academy enables policymakers to enhance their understanding of issues such as social insurance programs, health care financing, pension systems, and risk management. Through direct dialogue, the Academy’s volunteers are also able to explain highly technical concepts in a more readily understandable language when needed and can highlight the implications of various policy options. Frequently, these meetings lead to ongoing dialogue between Hill and Academy staff throughout the year as issues evolve or new topics arise, which helps to ensure that the work of Academy committees is both relevant and timely.
Likewise, it is straightforward to see how Hill Visits accrue benefits to the U.S. actuarial profession. Engaging directly with lawmakers, regulators, and Hill staff allows actuaries to demonstrate their expertise and credibility, as well as to reinforce the Academy’s commitment to providing independent, unbiased guidance. By sustaining these efforts over time, they position the profession as a trusted source of information and help to ensure that actuarial perspectives are considered throughout the policymaking process.
By contributing independent analysis free from political or commercial pressures, actuaries are able to play an important role in addressing many of the challenges facing legislators and regulators. Moreover, these interactions enable actuaries to shape the narrative around complex policy issues. This leadership role strengthens the profession’s relevance and impact, fostering greater recognition of the unique value actuaries bring to addressing society’s most pressing challenges.
While it may not be as immediately obvious, there are significant benefits to the Academy’s volunteer actuaries who participate in Hill Visits as well. First and foremost, participating in Hill Visits deepens the volunteers’ understanding of the legislative and regulatory context in which actuarial issues exist and provides a broader perspective on the impact of actuarial work on public policy and society.
Additionally, Hill Visits are an opportunity for volunteers to develop their communication and advocacy skills, which are essential for effective professional practice. It is also typical that Hill Visit meetings will cover issues that span multiple market segments and perspectives within a given practice area, which creates unique opportunities for volunteers to make connections between actuarial issues inside and outside of their area of expertise.
Finally, participating in Hill Visits enables volunteers to take an important opportunity to expand their professional network, allowing actuaries from different practice areas to connect, share expertise, and collaborate.
In conclusion, the Hill Visits are a vital mechanism through which the Academy fulfills its mission. They provide policymakers a means to access the Academy’s independent, nonpartisan actuarial resources and expertise while also elevating the profession’s voice in critical public policy matters. At the same time, they represent a unique opportunity for Academy volunteers to deepen their understanding of the policy landscape, sharpen their communication skills, and build meaningful professional networks.
If you are an Academy volunteer looking to make a meaningful impact on public policy while advancing your professional growth, consider reaching out to the chairperson of the committee you serve on or the Academy staff supporting it to learn how to get involved.
—Ron Ogborne, MAAA, FSA, CERA,
Academy member selected director and member of the Health Practice Council
Have I (We) Done Any Good in the World Today?
Past as prologue: Many decades ago, I was unemployed in the midst of the Reagan recession, and a year after graduating from college, I came across the actuarial field in an ad in my local paper: “Wanted—person with math aptitude.” That small ad introduced me to the actuarial field. A recruiter set up an interview with a local P&C company, The St. Paul Companies. I had no exams and had majored in economics—not the ideal background for a new actuarial hire—but I had done well in my program, and my wife and I were expecting our first child in a month, so we were hopeful of the possibilities ahead.
At the end of the day, the senior actuary asked what my favorite college course had been. I should have said linear algebra or advanced econometric courses, but I shared my enthusiasm for a graduate course I took my last semester on Dante’s Divine Comedy and its telling of a pilgrim’s journey to make sense of the world—of hell and of heaven. I could tell that as I said this his eyes glazed over, and I thought I heard in his head the phrase, “These are not the new hires we are looking for.” But I persevered and later began my actuarial career in Dallas.
Today’s question: How and why does the Academy conduct annual Hill Visits every spring to meet with the Congressional Budget Office, Government Accountability Office, and key staff members on both sides of the aisle who are assigned to actuarially relevant committees in the House and Senate?
Today, the Divine Comedy still ranks as a favorite course of mine, and I have come to appreciate it as a great example of how the Academy does “good.” In Dante’s journey through Inferno he meets many people who seek attention and to reclaim their fame in the world above. But as he journeys through Purgatory and then Paradise, there is a marked shift in the tone—from the “I” of Inferno to the cooperation needed to do good, and finally to the blessing of living in collaborative service to others.
The last two annual Hill Visits have included Academy members with relevant committee expertise in topics that may be considered during the upcoming legislative agenda, such as Medicare, access to fire and flood insurance, workers’ compensation, cyber risk, big data and artificial intelligence, Social Security, private pensions, longevity risk, long-term care (LTC), and more. During both the Hill meetings and the dinners afterward, I heard thought leaders listen carefully and share the objective, pragmatic advice available through the Academy.
After each Hill Visit I was surprised and grateful to see how much the staff and the Academy have in common. The role of a typical Hill staff person is to be a “truth-teller” to their boss on what is actually possible. The elected official seeks reality checks from their staff. They will take the staff input but frame their public comments based on their political agendas. I often arrive in Washington, D.C., a bit cynical about how the meetings may go. But I return home each time buoyed from meeting people working hard in D.C. to realistically understand how they can help make or amend productive laws for our country.
Laws do have costs and consequences due to the inherent compromise typically needed to pass a law or to fulfill popular expectations. Some aspects may not be well thought out. This is where the Academy’s approach to offer trusted, objective counsel is so helpful. Our audience during those visits is not the media but those who make laws and regulations. Our Hill Visits build credibility with both sides of the aisle so the changes needed are more likely to be addressed.
Two Examples
- The original Affordable Care Act (ACA) included an LTC provision. But the LTC benefit, as enacted, was not sustainable. The Academy explained this to those drafting and debating the ACA. Eighteen months after enactment, the Academy’s counsel proved to be sound, and the LTC provisions were repealed.
- One of the federal actions in spring 2025 stopped funding public access to NOAA data needed for catastrophe models. This NOAA data—the Billion-Dollar Disaster (BDD) database—was also used by many nonactuarial professionals. As a regular user of this database, Steve Kolk, chairperson of the Academy’s Extreme Events Committee (EEC) and one of the Academy’s Hill Visit volunteers, convened the EEC in June. The committee drafted a letter to Congress explaining the vital public good the data had provided.
As a result, in August, six members of Congress introduced H.R. 5002, the Protect Americans from Climate Disasters Act. H.R. 5002 is in the first stage of the legislative process and proposes re-funding NOAA staff and programs, notably including the BDD. With the importance of the Billion-Dollar Disaster data now part of the congressional record, the nonprofit Climate Central has begun republishing some of the BDD information while Congress deliberates on the bill, which now has a dozen co-sponsors.
I hope that you, like me, can appreciate how and why the Academy continues to engage in the sometimes Sisyphean—and sometimes effective—task of providing valued and objective advice to policymakers.
—Dave Sandberg, MAAA, FSA, CERA, FCA,
Academy past president, and former vice president, Life