By Ted Gotsch
Spring traditionally signals new opportunities for growth and development, and this March the Academy is once again embracing that promise by engaging its members and a key stakeholder—Congress—in one of our most direct and dynamic ways.
For years, the Academy’s practice councils have held annual Hill visits. These visits—also commonly referred to as fly-ins—have served as an opportunity for actuaries to touch base with federal legislators, legislative staff, and regulators, educating them on timely issues impacting the public and how an actuarial perspective is an essential resource in developing potential solutions.
In 2025, the Academy reimagined the event and how it engages with stakeholders on the Hill.
While in the past, each policy practice council conducted its own separate visits, last year we brought together all five policy practice councils on a single day of joint engagement on the Hill. In several meetings, we had representation from two or more practice areas, and our universal message was simple—
The Academy is your trusted source for balanced, objective analysis and perspective on public policy issues that directly impact your constituents and the business community.
Key Policy Issues
Last year’s collective effort was a great success (see the April 2025 Actuarially Sound blog post, “Hill Visits Let Volunteers Get the Word Out About the Academy”). With nearly 40 volunteers in town, the Academy had more than 30 meetings in a single day. As we look to build on that success this year, we’re once again being guided by the Academy’s Policy Forum, an online repository on current policy issues. When Academy volunteers, senior fellows, and Academy staff return to the Capitol Hill, they will discuss these and more policy issues related to 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 issues, along with the policy priorities identified by the Casualty, Health, Life, Retirement, and Risk Management and Financial Reporting practice councils, will help guide conversations with legislators and their staff, reinforcing the Academy’s mission to serve as the preeminent source of actuarial expertise and professional insight for policymakers. (See “Agile and Ready for What’s Next” to learn more about council priorities for 2026.)
As you read this article, your fellow members and Academy staff will have already developed talking points, practiced navigating congressional offices, and participated in in-person training to ensure that everyone hits the Hill prepared to answer questions and learn more about Congress’ priorities during this midterm election year.
The Role of Objective Analyses
As an independent, nonpartisan organization, part of our mission is to inform and educate lawmakers, regulators, and their staff by providing actuarial analysis and applying actuarial principles and insights through the work of our volunteer committees. We do this through scores of publications, webinars, events, and other presentations we produce each year. Rather than traditional lobbying, which is carried out by trade organizations and other policy groups promoting specific positions and requests, we provide information and perspective intended to educate and empower decision-makers. This helps them better understand the issues at play and the potential consequences of proposed solutions, and supports them as they seek to make an informed decision, so they can make informed decisions that ideally achieve optimal results for the public.
Academy members—with their expertise in risk assessment, financial modeling, data analytics, and long-term forecasting—provide independent, objective analyses that are essential for addressing complex and pressing policy challenges. Their involvement is particularly critical in areas where long-term financial security, demographic shifts, and emerging risks intersect, including: aging and financial security through the lens of public and private programs; balancing industry solvency with the affordability of insurance products; the impact of climate change on personal and public health, property, and community solvency; and the impact and influence of technology innovations, such as AI and cybersecurity.
What You Can Do
Conversations with policymakers during Hill visits shouldn’t be seen as the end point of discussions or a once-a-year event. Instead, they serve as an opportunity for volunteers to engage and build the conversations and relationships that we nurture throughout the year and across multiple years. These visits are part of the broader engagement strategy that the Academy supports, helping us continue expand and grow these relationships.
What can members do to help with this process? Get involved and volunteer for committees of interest and educate themselves on the policy issues that are driving key conversations in the nation’s capital. Plan to attend the Policy Forum in March, our in-person event that will offer continuing education opportunities and spotlight some of the issues we’ll be talking about during Hill visits. Reading the Actuarially Sound blog, Policy Forum, and Contingencies; listening to the Actuary Voices podcast; attending the Academy’s in-person events; and staying current with the work of the Academy’s practice councils all go a long way toward strengthening the Academy and advancing its core mission of serving the public and informing public policy.
Ted Gotsch is policy content and publications manager at the Academy.