On November 16, 2023, Academy Health Equity Committee chairperson Annette James and member Yi-Ling Lin presented to the Southeastern Actuaries Conference (SEAC) on the importance of health equity and cross-collaboration with various stakeholders. The presentation also highlighted the 2023 workshops and symposium focusing on the intersection of benefit design and health equity.

The Health Equity Committee released an issue brief summarizing its "Health Benefit Design Innovations for Advancing Health Equity: Removing the Barriers to Successful Implementation" series. 

The Health Equity Committee released the final two issue briefs in its "Health Benefit Design Innovations for Advancing Health Equity: Removing the Barriers to Successful Implementation" series. How to Better Understand the Needs of the People We’re Trying to Serve explores how to better understand unmet needs and incorporate input from employees and plan members into the benefit design decision-making process, and Overcoming Constraints to Implementation discusses some of the challenges of implementing equity-enhancing benefit plans—and possible solutions. The lessons learned in discussions that led to the four issue briefs will be the topic of a special Health Symposium: Health Benefit Design Innovations for Advancing Health Equity Nov. 15, from 8:15 a.m. to 3:45 EST.

The Health Equity Committee released the final two issue briefs in its "Health Benefit Design Innovations for Advancing Health Equity: Removing the Barriers to Successful Implementation" series. How to Better Understand the Needs of the People We’re Trying to Serve explores how to better understand unmet needs and incorporate

input from employees and plan members into the benefit design decision-making process, and Overcoming Constraints to Implementation discusses some of the challenges of implementing equity-enhancing benefit plans—and possible solutions. The lessons learned in discussions that led to the four issue briefs will be the topic of a special Health Symposium: Health Benefit Design Innovations for Advancing Health Equity Nov. 15, from 8:15 a.m. to 3:45 EST.

Health Care Receivables Factors Work Group member David Quinn provided an update to the NAIC’s Health Risk-Based Capital (E) Working Group on the current and proposed H3 Factors.

The Health Solvency Subcommittee’s Health Underwriting Risk Factors Analysis Work Group sent a letter updating the NAIC’s Health Risk-Based Capital (E) Working Group (HRBC) on progress on the NAIC’s request to comprehensively review the H2—Underwriting Risk Component and the Managed Care Credit Calculation included in the HRBC formula.

The Health Practice Council’s Long-Term Care (LTC) Reform Committee submitted comments to the Office of the State Actuary for the state of Washington on key issues related to LTC financing and risk management. The letter provides information on considerations necessary to achieve and maintain long-term services and supports (LTSS) trust solvency for the WA Cares Fund Program.

Academy Senior Health Fellow Cori Uccello received the prestigious Wynn Kent Public Communication Award from the Conference of Consulting Actuaries (CCA) at CCA’s Annual Meeting. In remarks accepting the award, she said actuaries’ work touches the lives of every American, including affecting who has access to insurance coverage for their life, health, home, or auto, and how much they have to pay for that coverage; safeguarding financial and health security during retirement through pensions, Social Security, and Medicare; and helping ensure that the benefits promised to them can be fulfilled.

Senior Health Fellow Cori Uccello and Health Equity Committee members Ugo Okpewho and Sara Teppema gave an overview of the committee’s work on equity considerations related to provider contracting and network development to AHIP’s Health Equity Workgroup.

A new issue brief released by the Health Equity Committee provides an overview of how potential benefit changes are evaluated and how those evaluations could facilitate the incorporation of equity-enhancing benefit design features. These issues were discussed in the second of a series of workshops with stakeholders and decision-makers focusing on changing cost-sharing features, such as through value-based insurance design (VBID), as well as adding benefits to address health-related social needs.

Senior Health Fellow Cori Uccello gave an overview of the Health Equity Committee’s work on equity considerations related to benefit design to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ (CBPP) Marketplace Affordability Project.

The Health Practice Council’s Medicare Committee submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on the draft part one guidance for the Maximum Monthly Cap on Cost-Sharing Payments Program.

Senior Health Fellow Cori Uccello and Health Equity Committee member Rebecca Sheppard gave an overview of the committee’s work on equity considerations related to health plan pricing to AHIP’s Health Equity Workgroup.

The Health Practice Council’s Individual and Small Group Markets Committee, Risk Sharing Subcommittee, and Active Benefits Committee submitted a comment letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of the Treasury on the Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance; Independent, Noncoordinated Excepted Benefits Coverage; Level-Funded Plan Arrangements; and Tax Treatment of Certain Accident and Health Insurance notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

A new issue brief released by the Health Equity Committee provides an overview of issues related to designing health benefits to improve health equity. These issues were discussed in the first of a series of workshops with stakeholders and decision-makers focusing on changing cost-sharing features, such as through value-based insurance design (VBID), as well as adding benefits to address health-related social needs.