Issue guide on Social Security to help evaluate Social Security reform proposals.

(December 17, 2012)

Solvency Committee response to an NAIC Solvency Modernization Initiative Task Force request to outline methods of measuring regulatory financial success in the U.S. insurance financial regulatory system. (November 16, 2012)

This report is the product of Phase I of a multi-phase project commissioned by the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS), Canadian Institute of Actuaries, Society of Actuaries, and the American Academy of Actuaries' Property/Casualty Extreme Events Committee and prepared by Solterra Solutions, with input from the CAS's Climate Index Working Group. With this project, the actuarial organizations are responding to the emerging risk of climate change by collaborating to recommend, support, and perform research on climate change and assess the potential risk management implications for the insurance industry. (October 31, 2012)

Guide to help voters understand what premium support is and the potential implications of shifting Medicare to a premium support program. (October 09, 2012)

Decision brief highlighting some of the issues that federal and state policymakers and regulators should consider as they are making their Medicaid expansion decisions. (September 10, 2012)

Voter guide to help explain why broad participation is necessary in the health insurance system to avoid higher premiums. (June 28, 2012)

Joint Academy/SOA research brief on risk-mitigation programs under the Affordable Care Act appear to reduce financial risks to health plans but overly restrictive limitations on premium rate increases can lead to high federal risk-corridor payments. (June 04, 2012)

Actuarial Soundness Task Force special report regarding the terms “actuarial soundness” and “actuarially sound” to assist in providing the profession and the general public with specific direction on the use of these terms. (May 10, 2012)

Voter guide on Social Security to help explain Social Security reform proposals during this election year.

(May 07, 2012)

Voter guide on Medicare to help explain the essential components of the program. (April 23, 2012)

International Accounting Standards Task Force discussion paper on approaches to setting the discount rate for valuation of insurance contracts drafted by December 2011. (December 19, 2011)

Tax Work Group discussion paper regarding tax implications for structuring new commissioners’ mortality tables to include the extra mortality risk of business not subject to full underwriting. (December 14, 2011)

Tax Work Group discussion paper to the Life Actuarial Task Force and the American Council of Life Insurers regarding tax implications for structuring new commissioners’ mortality tables to include the extra mortality risk of business not subject to full underwriting. (December 07, 2011)

International Accounting Standards Task Force’s white paper on the topic “What Belongs in Other Comprehensive Income” and “How Would You Calculate It?” with respect to insurance contracts. (December 06, 2011)

The Risk Classification Work Group published “On Risk Classification” an update to the 1980 “Risk Classification Statement of Principles”. This monograph is intended to provide actuaries and other interested parties with an in-depth but accessible discussion of the concepts underlying risk classification as it is applied in all actuarial practice areas. (November 15, 2011)

Nonforfeiture Modernization Work Group's Nonforfeiture Improvement Report that makes certain recommendations with respect to life insurance and annuity nonforfeiture mandates and sets forth certain items for further discussion. (August 01, 2011)

Flood Insurance Subcommittee's monograph on the actuarial issues surrounding the history and future of the National Flood Insurance Program. (July 12, 2011)

Health Practice Council fact sheet providing an overview of the Medicare Shared Savings Program and how accountable care organizations (ACOs) are addressed in the Affordable Care Act. (June 16, 2011)

Health Practice Council brief providing definitions for commonly used terms associated with health care reform implemenation. (August 01, 2010)

Financial Regulatory Reform Task Force white paper outlines new key functions necessary for effective systemic risk regulation. (May 01, 2010)

In 2009, the Academy's Health Practice Council introduced a new series of policy statements -- Critical Issues in Health Reform -- to provide an actuarial perspective to policymakers as they grappled with developing comprehensive reform proposals to slow the increase in health care costs, provide affordable and accessible coverage for the uninsured, and promote quality care. These policy statements addressed a variety of issues related to health care reform, providing the implications of various proposals being considered and their potential impact on the health insurance market.

• Actuarial Equivalence (May 2009)
• Administrative Expenses (September 2009)
• Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act (November 2009)
• Gender Considerations in a Voluntary Individual Health Insurance Market (May 2009)
• Health Insurance Cooperatives (October 2009)
• Individual Mandate (May 2009)
• Market Reform Principles (May 2009)
• Merging the Small and Individual Group Markets (September 2009)
• Minimum Loss Ratios (February 2010)
• Premium Setting in the Individual Market (March 2010)
• Public Plan Option (June 2009)
• Risk Pooling (July 2009)
• State Level Impact and State Characteristics (November 2009)
• Transitioning into New Markets (August 2009)

(March 23, 2010)

Health Policy Council call to action urging the President and Congress to restore the long-term solvency and financial sustainability of Medicare. (February 01, 2010)

Academy and Society of Actuaries technical report to help policymakers and the public understand the potential implications of an excise tax on high-cost, employer-provided health plans. (January 01, 2010)

Nonforfeiture Improvement Work Group's policy paper regarding general revision of life and annuity standard nonforfeiture laws. (December 01, 2009)

Joint Academy/SOA technical report and webcast on the start-up capital requirements for health care cooperatives and/or a public plan option.

(November 02, 2009)

Financial Reporting Committee white paper and notes on the use of discount rates in accounting present value estimates. (September 15, 2009)

Consumer-Driven Health Plans Work Group monograph summary of results from several experience studies on Consumer-Driven Health Plans. (May 01, 2009)

Risk Management and Financial Reporting Council white paper outlines risk management requirements for effective systemic risk regulation. (April 30, 2009)

Pension Committee and Social Security Committee joint work group document addressing better ways to educate the public about retirement planning. The committees suggest changes to current Social Security publications, specifically the "Thinking of Retiring?" special insert to the annual Social Security Statement for workers 55 or older and the "When to Start Receiving Retirement Benefits" publication (05-10147). (July 01, 2008)

Mass Torts Subcommittee monograph providing an overview of asbestos claim issues and trends. (August 01, 2007)