The Academy provided these comments in response to the NAIC’s exposure draft of the proposed Revised Qualified Actuary Definition for the Property/ Casualty (P/C) Actuarial Opinion Instructions. (February 11, 2018)
The Tax Work Group submitted a comment letter to the NAIC’s Statutory Accounting Principles (E) Working Group on SSAP 101 and Federal Income Tax Reform. (February 15, 2018)
In the February issue of HealthCheck, the Individual and Small Group Markets Committee sent comments to the U.S. Department of Labor on association health plans, the Retiree Benefits Subcommittee held a teleconference with the U.S. Government Accountability Office on a review of postal retiree health benefits, and a new short-term government funding measure includes several health-related provisions. (February 13, 2018)
The Solvency Committee submitted comments to the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) on the Interim Consultation Paper on Activities-Based Approach (ABA) to Systemic Risk dated December 8, 2017. (February 13, 2018)
Last month the Academy Board of Directors revised the Academy’s meeting policy. (See the news entry from Jan. 31, 2018, here.) The revised policy has one overarching aim—to empower committee and board chairpersons to do their jobs as effectively as possible. The purpose of all Academy meetings is to further the mission of the Academy. It is imperative that chairs have the tools they need to protect the integrity of the Academy process. This is especially critical for those groups responsible for establishing, maintaining, and enforcing our professionalism standards. Meetings of committees and other Academy bodies—other than those of a few committees that have always been closed—remain open to observation provided the observer is deemed to be helpful to the work of the committee. A link to the policy is here.
Why did the Board make this change now? Over the last 18 months, certain observers have used the Board and Committee Meetings Policy to engage in conduct that has tended to chill discussions and debates at the ASB and other Academy committees. In one case, an observer has insisted on attending committee and Board meetings despite threatening legal action against the Academy. The Board responded appropriately by striking a balance between transparency, which has always been important to the Academy, the need to protect the independence and objectivity of all Academy bodies, and the need of those committees to have a robust deliberative process with free and frank exchanges of ideas. The revised policy does precisely that by giving officers and chairpersons the freedom to admit observers who will be helpful to their respective committees while at the same time giving them the necessary tools to protect the committees’ work.
The Academy is aware that an actuary has begun a campaign to enlist members in a petition drive to amend the Academy bylaws to reverse the Board’s decision. For more information about the reasons for this petition campaign, please also see this letter to the actuary’s attorney about the nature and basis of her requests. (February 12, 2018)
Read the latest issue of This Week—the Academy's end-of-week digital newsletter, compiling a week’s worth of news, updates, and media coverage in one convenient, easy-to-use publication. (February 09, 2018)
The Individual and Small Group Markets Committee sent comments to the Office of Regulations and Interpretations within the Employee Benefits Security Administration in response to the Department of Labor's proposed rule on the definition of employer—small business health plans. (February 09, 2018)
Senior Property and Casualty Fellow Kevin Ryan testified before the Maryland House Economic Matters Committee, commenting on legislation to prohibit the use of occupation, education, gender, and marital status as factors in determining private passenger automobile insurance rates. (February 08, 2018)
Read the latest issue of This Week—the Academy's end-of-week digital newsletter, compiling a week’s worth of news, updates, and media coverage in one convenient, easy-to-use publication. (February 02, 2018)
The Credit for Reinsurance Subgroup of the Reinsurance Committee released a new practice note, Credit for Life Reinsurance in U.S. Statutory Financial Statements. (February 02, 2018)
Committing on an annual basis to professional objectivity is required to perform volunteer work for all those who participate in Academy committees. D. Joeff Williams, vice president of the Academy’s Council on Professionalism, outlined the policy with a request that volunteers and submit a conflict of interest (COI) acknowledgement and continuing education attestation as soon as possible. Interested parties must also acknowledge the COI policy. (Actuarial Update, January 2018) (January 31, 2018)
The Joint P&C/Health Bond Factors Analysis Work Group submitted a discussion draft of a report on P/C and Health bond factors for consideration by the NAIC’s Joint Health RBC and P/C RBC Drafting Group. (January 31, 2018)
“New Standards for the New Year,” by Actuarial Standards Board (ASB) Chairperson Beth Fitzgerald, highlights several new actuarial standards of practice (ASOPs)—Nos. 51, 52, and 53—offering explanations behind their promulgation last year, and the role of the ASB’s committees and task forces in creating the ASOPs. (Actuarial Update, January 2018) (January 31, 2018)
