The Pension Committee released an issue brief, Aligning the PBGC’s Single-Employer Premium Structure With Its Objectives, which discusses options for modifying the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation’s (PBGC) single-employer premium structure to better support the single-employer defined benefit system, while preserving a strong level of retirement security. 

Read the Academy news release. For more information, read here.

The Variable Annuity Reserve and Capital Subcommittee commented to the NAIC’s Life Actuarial (A) Task Force on the order of operations between the interest maintenance reserve (IMR) and cash surrender value (CSV) floor in the VM-21 reserve calculation.

The Prudential Regulation Committee submitted comments to the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) on its consultation draft application paper on climate risk scenario analysis in the insurance sector.

A new issue brief from the Asset Adequacy and Reinsurance Task Force, Asset-Intensive Reinsurance Ceded Offshore From U.S. Life Insurers (With Focus on Bermuda), offers a summary of motivations, common practices, and relevant actuarial guidance for U.S.-based actuaries involved in reinsurance transactions based offshore, particularly in Bermuda. Read the Academy press release.

The Liquidity Work Group of the Academy’s Risk Management and Financial Reporting Council released the practice note Liquidity Risk, a revision to a previous practice note published in 2000. The 2024 version broadens the scope by incorporating perspectives from the health and property/casualty practice areas as well as introducing practice-area-specific appendices.

The Annuity Reserve and Capital Subcommittee commented to the NAIC’s Valuation Manual (VM)-22 (A) Subgroup of the Life Actuarial (A) Task Force on the Nov 2023 exposure of VM-31, VM-G, and the VM-22 PBR Supplement Blank.

The Economic Scenario Generator Subcommittee presented to the NAIC’s Generator of Economic Scenarios (GOES) (E/A) Subgroup of the Life Actuarial (A) Task Force on proposed “quadrant” criteria for the joint distribution of interest rates and equity returns. 

The Health Practice Council’s Individual and Small Group Markets Committee and Active Benefits Committee responded to the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration’s proposed rule on Association Health Plan’s definition of employer.

The Social Security Committee released an issue brief on the 2023 Social Security Trustees Report examining the social insurance program’s long-term solvency issues.

The Public Plans Committee released Introduction to Service Purchases for Public Pension Plans, a practice note considering a variety of service purchase programs that can be found across public sector pension plans, as well as plan administration topics that actuaries should be aware of when working with them.

The Economic Scenario Generator Subcommittee submitted comments to the Life Actuarial Task Force (LATF) on the Dec 12 exposure of the updated Generator of Economic Scenarios (GOES) Targeting Criteria and Evaluation Statistics.

The Life Valuation Committee submitted a comment letter to the Life Actuarial Task Force (LATF) on the re-exposure of APF 2023-12 concerning equity return volatility in VM-30 cash-flow testing.

The Prudential Regulation Committee released an issue brief, Introduction to Insurance Group Capital Requirements, which focuses on U.S. application, including a discussion of the two primary approaches used to determine group capital.

The Climate Change Joint Committee released an issue brief, ESG and the Actuary, which is intended to present some of the basics of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations as actuaries contemplate how ESG may impact their work.

The Pension Committee released an issue brief, Church-Sponsored Retirement Plans—Overview and Considerations. This issue brief discusses the broad range of church plans and practices. Among other considerations, it discusses the impact on a participant of being in a church plan when the ERISA protections and provisions for U.S. tax-qualified single or multiemployer pension plans generally do not apply.

The Health Practice Council’s Health Care Delivery Committee, Individual and Small Group Markets Committee, and Active Benefits Committee responded to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions’ (HELP) request for information on access to gene therapies for patients with an ultra-rare disease.

Health Equity Committee co-chairpersons Annette James and Rebecca Sheppard, and member Yi-Ling Lin, gave an overview of the committee’s work on equity considerations related to benefit design to AHIP’s Health Equity Workgroup.

The Health Practice Council’s Individual and Small Group Markets Committee submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding the proposed rule for the 2025 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters.

The Individual and Small Group Markets Committee submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) on the Draft 2025 Actuarial Value (AV) Calculator Methodology.

The Long-Duration Contracts Work Group of the Academy’s Risk Management and Financial Reporting Council released the practice note Application of ASU 2018-12 to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts under U.S. GAAP, which covers aspects of the application of Accounting Standards Update 2018-12, published in 2018 by the Financial Accounting Standards Board.