Academy Expands Capitol Hill Engagement on Priority Issues

By Ted Gotsch, Policy Content and Publications Manager 

The Academy is currently hard at work preparing for our annual Hill visits beginning April 2. Approximately 40 volunteers representing all five practice councils will be coming to Washington, D.C., to meet with congressional staff to emphasize the value that balanced actuarial expertise brings to the public policy process on a wide range of issues, including health care, retirement, insurance, climate, artificial intelligence (AI), annuities, insurer and retirement system investments, and more. 

Academy volunteers will speak to priority House and Senate committee professional staff and leadership, reminding them of the terrific resources the Academy offers through our volunteer members and through all of our work products and publications. Special emphasis this year is on several key congressional committees of jurisdiction, which have been and will be focused on policy issues that are priorities of our practice councils. This list includes the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, the House Ways & Means Committee, and the House Education and Workforce Committee. 

Since 2025 will be the inaugural joint Hill visits event bringing together all five practice councils, there is a concerted effort to discuss cross-practice topics. Taking cues from the Academy’s soon-to-be-refreshed Policy Forum website, volunteers, senior fellows, and Academy staff will be prepared to talk about issues related to aging and financial security; AI and data; the impact of climate events; investments and financial reporting; and access to and the affordability of insurance.  

We will be highlighting some of our upcoming external events, such as the Insurance Investment Summit in May and the Future of Retirement Symposium in June. The teams will also be emphasizing the value of the profession and what it means to be an actuary and a member of the Academy. Given the professionalism side of the Academy’s dual mission, it’s just as important to talk about how actuaries do their work, as well as why actuaries are a necessary seat at the proverbial table as issues are debated and proposed solutions are considered.  

Each practice area naturally has specific issues that will be the focus of their individual visits, depending on the interests and priorities of the congressional office they are meeting. These policy issues include:  

• Casualty Practice Council—extreme weather and its impact on insurance and government programs; availability and affordability of insurance, particularly auto and home; cyber risk (data science & AI). 
• Health Practice Council—sustainability of public and private insurance programs; access to, and the affordability and quality of, health care; aging and health security. 
• Life Practice Council—investing in complex assets; tax treatment of retirement savings; lifetime income. 
• Retirement Practice Council—Social Security; the current and future state of private and public pension plans; lifetime income. 
• Risk Management and Financial Reporting—climate change and its ongoing implications for measuring risk; risk management and financial reporting; data science, AI, and the future of both within the insurance and financial services industries. 

Keep an eye on the Academy’s social media channels from April 2 to 4 to see what our volunteers are up to during this year’s Hill visits. There will also be a follow-up blog summarizing what went on in this space next month. And if that gets you interested in participating and you’re a member, get (or stay) involved with the Academy in the coming months and learn about next year’s meetings as actuaries prepare to take to Capitol Hill again.