The Long-Term Care Principle-based Work Group presented an update to the NAIC’s Long-Term Care Actuarial Working Group on progress in developing a principle-based approach model and a timeline for completion.
( )The Health Practice International Task Force published an issue brief providing an overview of the prevalence and costs associated with diabetes internationally and exploring ways in which several countries are addressing the high cost of diabetes.
( )The Medicare Steering Committee updated its annual issue brief that offers an actuarial perspective on Medicare's financial condition and outlines the public policy options to address the program's long-term financial challenges.
( )The Medicaid Work Group submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requesting specific guidance on the Affordable Care Act's Health Insurance Providers (HIP) fee and how it affects the Medicaid program.
( )The Tax Work Group sent a comment letter to the NAIC Health Actuarial Task Force on the tax implications of the 2013 Individual Disability Income Valuation Tables.
The Health Practice Financial Reporting Committee submitted comments to the NAIC’s Statutory Accounting Principles Working Group on its new accounting proposal for the risk-sharing programs of the Affordable Care Act.
( )On June 18, Cori Uccello, the Academy's senior health fellow, provided members of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation, and Regulatory Affairs with an objective actuarial assessment of the three Affordable Care Act (ACA) risk-sharing mechanisms. Read the written testimony and the news release.
( )The Medicare Part D RBC Subgroup published a report to the NAIC’s Health Risk-Based Capital Working Group recommending that no change be made to the risk factors for Medicare Part D coverage.
( )The Health Practice Council released a new issue brief providing an overview of the factors underlying general premium rate setting and highlighting the major drivers behind why 2015 premiums could differ from those in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Click here to read the news release.
( )The Academy released a new Essential Elements, What Drives the Growing Cost of Health Care?, as part of its series designed to make actuarial analyses of public policy issues more accessible. Visit the Essential Elements webpage.
( )The Minimum Value Practice Note Work Group released a final practice note related to determinations of minimum value (MV) and actuarial value (AV) under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which includes a discussion of plan designs not accommodated by the calculators.
( )The Risk-Sharing Work Group submitted a letter to the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) with comments on a proposed rule related to exchanges and market reforms for 2015, specifically addressing ACA risk-sharing mechanisms.
( )In this month’s HealthCheck, read about the Academy’s new Health Cost and Quality of Care Initiative, enactment of a law preserving the sustainable growth rate for one year, proposed and final HHS rules, a citation of the Academy in a New York Times article on the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, and much more.
( )The American Academy of Actuaries’ initiative, Examining the Health Care Equation – Actuarial Perspectives on Cost and Quality, examines health care cost growth and explores options to reduce long-term spending growth and promote high-quality care.
On April 7, 2014, the Academy launched this initiative with a Capitol Hill Briefing as part of its continuing effort to provide objective, unbiased information to serve the public and the United States actuarial profession. The first paper in the series, "New Models of Care Delivery," and the flyer "What Drives the Growing Cost of Health Care" were presented. If you were unable to attend the briefing, please click here to view the presentation.
Click Here for more information on the Academy's latest initiative.