The Health Equity Work Group sent a comment letter to the NAIC’s Special (EX) Committee on Race and Insurance – Workstream 5 (Health) on the exposure draft of the White Paper on Provider Network outline.
( )The American Academy of Actuaries created a Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) with a goal of contributing to efforts to reduce health disparities and improve health equity among racial and ethnic minority populations and underserved or under-resourced communities. The HEWG is issuing a request for information (RFI) to solicit input to its work assessing whether and how health actuarial practices and methods affect health disparities. Health actuaries often partner with other professionals in many different aspects of the health care and health insurance systems, including those related to administration, financing, and care management. The HEWG has identified four areas in which health actuaries are involved that may affect health disparities, either by contributing to disparities or by mitigating disparities: health insurance benefit design, provider contracting and network development, premium pricing, and managing population risk. The work group is also exploring data collection issues. More information about the HEWG’s work and its publications thus far is available here.
Learn more about the RFI here. Comments should be submitted by Jan. 14, 2022, via email to healthequityRFI@actuary.org. Please include the phrase “HEWG Request for Information” in the subject line and do not password-protect any attachments. Comments may be sent via conventional mail to: Health Equity Work Group, American Academy of Actuaries, 1850 M Street NW Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036.
( )Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) released a discussion brief, Health Equity from an Actuarial Perspective: Managing Population Health. This discussion brief is the final in the series developed by the HEWG to provide more context on issues raised in the initial discussion brief, Health Equity from an Actuarial Perspective: Questions to Explore. This series was undertaken by the HEWG to lay the groundwork for their future exploration and research into health disparities.
( )Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) discussion brief, Health Equity from an Actuarial Perspective: Provider Contracting and Network Development. This discussion brief is part of a series developed by the HEWG to provide more context on issues raised in the initial discussion brief, Health Equity from an Actuarial Perspective: Questions to Explore.
( )The Individual and Small Group Markets Committee released an issue brief laying out the factors underlying premium rate setting and highlighting the major components driving premium changes in 2022.
( )Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) discussion brief, Health Equity from an Actuarial Perspective: Health Plan Benefit Design. This discussion brief is part of a series developed by the HEWG to provide more context on issues raised in the initial discussion brief, Health Equity from an Actuarial Perspective: Questions to Explore.
( )The Health Practice Council’s Individual and Small Group Markets Committee and the Active Benefits Subcommittee comments to the Departments of Health & Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury as the agencies develop proposed rules related to the recently enacted No Surprises Act pertaining to surprise medical billing.
( )Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) Discussion Brief – Issue in Focus, Health Equity From An Actuarial Perspective: A Deeper Dive Into Health Plan Pricing. This discussion brief, which focuses on questions related to pricing health insurance products, is part of a series to identify areas that may affect health equity. An introductory discussion brief provided an overview of the HEWG’s work.
( )Telehealth Work Group issue brief on telehealth coverage and payment considerations for policymakers now and after the COVID-19 public health emergency.
( )Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) discussion brief on health equity from an actuarial perspective. This brief serves as an introduction to the HEWG’s work in examining the following areas: health insurance benefit design, provider contracting and network development, premium pricing, and managing population health.
( )