The Health Equity Committee presented at the 2024 SOA Health Meeting on “Improving Data Analysis Using a Health Equity Lens.” The session explored the intersection of health equity and data, including stakeholder perspectives and a Medicaid-focused case study.
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.
Senior Health Fellow Cori Uccello and Health Equity Committee Co-Chairperson Rebecca Sheppard gave an overview of the committee’s work on equity considerations related managing population health and risk adjustment to AHIP’s Health Equity Workgroup.
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.
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.
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 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.
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. In particular, the brief outlines some of the decision-making process with respect to adding benefits and the challenges of incorporating more equity-improving elements into health insurance plan designs.
Health Equity Committee (HEC) Chairperson Annette James presented at the 2023 Society of Actuaries Health Meeting in Seattle on “Health Equity: What it Means for Actuaries.” Her presentation gave an overview of health equity definitions, its intersection with actuarial work, and highlighted the HEC’s ongoing work, including the upcoming 2023 workshops and symposium focusing on the intersection of benefit design and health equity.
Academy Health Equity Committee Vice Chairperson Stacey Lampkin presented to the Southeastern Actuaries Conference (SEAC) on the committee’s ongoing work on health equity, including the upcoming 2023 workshops and symposium focusing on the intersection of benefit design and health equity.
The Life Practice Council, Health Practice Council, and Casualty Practice Council submitted a joint comment letter to the Colorado Division of Insurance on its recent exposure of a draft regulation on Governance and Risk Management Framework Requirements for Life Insurance Carriers’ Use of External Consumer Data and Information Sources, Algorithms, and Predictive Models: the first exposed implementation regulation for Colorado Revised Statute (C.R.S.) § 10-3-1104.9, signed into law on July 6, 2021.
The Health Equity Committee released a public policy issue brief on health care and health insurance system risk assessment and risk adjustment in the context of health equity. Risk assessment and risk adjustment are valuable tools that are used for a variety of purposes and are being reexamined to understand whether and how they should incorporate social risk factors.
The Health Equity Committee sent comments responding to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) request for information (RFI) that was seeking public comment on the Medicare Advantage program. The committee specifically focused on the health equity aspects of the questions posed within the RFI.
Academy Health Equity Committee Chairperson Annette James gave a presentation on equity considerations for barriers to care and health plan benefit design to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Special (EX) Committee on Race & Insurance Workstream #5.
On April 9, 2022, Academy Board member and Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) Chairperson Annette James presented to about 150 students at the Drake Symposium on Insurance on “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Actuarial Profession.” Chairperson James highlighted the Academy’s strategic focus and ongoing efforts to address DE&I, including fostering a diverse, inclusive profession. She also presented on ongoing multifaceted HEWG initiatives to address health equity.
The Health Practice Council’s Individual and Small Group Markets Committee, Risk Sharing Subcommittee, and Health Equity Work Group submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on CMS’ proposed rule for the 2023 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (NBPP). The letter addresses network adequacy, standardized plan options, several provisions on health equity, updating quality improvement strategy standards and other topics.
In October 2021 the American Academy of Actuaries Health Equity Work Group issued a request for information (RFI) to solicit input to its work assessing whether and how health actuarial practices and methods affect health disparities. The comment/submission period has now been extended to February 15, 2022.
The Academy created the Health Equity Work Group with a goal of contributing to efforts to reduce health disparities and improve health equity among racial and ethnic minority populations and underserved or under-resourced communities through actuarial practice and to facilitate providing actuarial input into the public policy process.
Health actuaries often partner with other professionals in many different aspects of the health care and health insurance systems, including those related to administration, financing, and care management. The Health Equity Work Group has identified four areas in which health actuaries are involved that may affect health disparities, either by contributing to disparities or by mitigating disparities: health insurance benefit design, provider contracting and network development, premium pricing, and managing population risk. The work group is also exploring data collection issues. More information about their work and publications thus far is available here.
Learn more about the RFI here. The comment deadline is February 15, 2022. Comments should be submitted via email to healthequityRFI@actuary.org. Please include the phrase “HEWG Request for Information” in the subject line and do not password-protect any attachments. Comments may be sent via conventional mail to: Health Equity Work Group (HEWG), American Academy of Actuaries, 1850 M Street NW Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036.
The HEWG sent a comment letter to the NAIC’s Special (EX) Committee on Race and Insurance – Workstream 5 (Health) on the exposure draft of the Principles for Data Collection document. The revised draft was exposed on October 15, 2021, with comments due November 15.
The Health Equity Work Group sent a comment letter to the NAIC’s Special (EX) Committee on Race and Insurance – Workstream 5 (Health) on the exposure draft of the White Paper on Provider Network outline.
The American Academy of Actuaries created a Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) with a goal of contributing to efforts to reduce health disparities and improve health equity among racial and ethnic minority populations and underserved or under-resourced communities. The HEWG is issuing a request for information (RFI) to solicit input to its work assessing whether and how health actuarial practices and methods affect health disparities. Health actuaries often partner with other professionals in many different aspects of the health care and health insurance systems, including those related to administration, financing, and care management. The HEWG has identified four areas in which health actuaries are involved that may affect health disparities, either by contributing to disparities or by mitigating disparities: health insurance benefit design, provider contracting and network development, premium pricing, and managing population risk. The work group is also exploring data collection issues. More information about the HEWG’s work and its publications thus far is available here.
Learn more about the RFI here. Comments should be submitted by Jan. 14, 2022, via email to healthequityRFI@actuary.org. Please include the phrase “HEWG Request for Information” in the subject line and do not password-protect any attachments. Comments may be sent via conventional mail to: Health Equity Work Group, American Academy of Actuaries, 1850 M Street NW Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036.
Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) released a discussion brief, Health Equity from an Actuarial Perspective: Managing Population Health. This discussion brief is the final in the series developed by the HEWG to provide more context on issues raised in the initial discussion brief, Health Equity from an Actuarial Perspective: Questions to Explore. This series was undertaken by the HEWG to lay the groundwork for their future exploration and research into health disparities.
Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) discussion brief, Health Equity from an Actuarial Perspective: Provider Contracting and Network Development. This discussion brief is part of a series developed by the HEWG to provide more context on issues raised in the initial discussion brief, Health Equity from an Actuarial Perspective: Questions to Explore.
Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) discussion brief, Health Equity from an Actuarial Perspective: Health Plan Benefit Design. This discussion brief is part of a series developed by the HEWG to provide more context on issues raised in the initial discussion brief, Health Equity from an Actuarial Perspective: Questions to Explore.
Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) Discussion Brief – Issue in Focus, Health Equity From An Actuarial Perspective: A Deeper Dive Into Health Plan Pricing. This discussion brief, which focuses on questions related to pricing health insurance products, is part of a series to identify areas that may affect health equity. An introductory discussion brief provided an overview of the HEWG’s work.
Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) discussion brief on health equity from an actuarial perspective. This brief serves as an introduction to the HEWG’s work in examining the following areas: health insurance benefit design, provider contracting and network development, premium pricing, and managing population health.
Academy President Thomas A. Campbell’s letter of recommendation for Annette V. James as a candidate for appointment to the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force as put forward in a presidential executive order, Ensuring an Equitable Pandemic Response and Recovery.
On December 2, 2020, Cori Uccello, the Academy’s Senior Health Fellow, presented on behalf of the Academy’s Health Equity Work Group (HEWG) at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC’s) Special (EX) Committee on Race and Insurance, Workstream #5 meeting. Written comments by HEWG chairperson Annette James were also submitted to the special committee highlighting the HEWG’s efforts to facilitate solutions to address health disparities.
The Health Practice Council’s Health Equity Work Group comments to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) highlighting their efforts to facilitate solutions to address health disparities.