Description: Stakeholders in a specific state (Minnesota) were interviewed about the potential value -- and obstacles -- of a catastrophic backstop program to handle long term care (LTC) financing needs. The design would entail a payroll deduction which would produce a fund to pay LTC expenses once a deductible period (of 1 to 4 years, depending on income) was reached. This design was believed to encourage enrollees to cover the front end better than done today, whether by private insurance or other means.

Description: In April, 2009, the Chinese government launched the most comprehensive Health Care System Reform ever. The goal: to establish and improve the basic health care system covering most urban and rural residents, and to provide the people with safe, effective, convenient and affordable health care. There is no doubt that this 'Made in China' health care reform will become the world’s most extensive health care system reform because it will inevitably affect many players in the game such as the local governments who currently administrate the program, the medical professionals who provide the care, the pharmaceutical manufacturers who provide the medicines, and the very large population who participate in the program, etc. This article summarizes the highlights of China's health care reform program.

Description: This article is a quick reference to resources for keeping up with ongoing healthcare reform efforts.

Description: Discussion of Ley 100/Law 100 in Colombia, which was ratified in 1993 and linked the government pension plan with a government-sponsored and controlled yet, privatized health plan.

Description: Two responses to 'Predictive Modeling with Consumer Data' article in the Oct/Nov 2011 issue of The Actuary are critical of the proposal for using consumer data as a health insurance marketing tool.

Description: This article is the first in a four-part series about what actuaries see as ideal components of a health care reform package. This part covers health care reform ideas explored at the Conference of Consulting Actuaries’ CCA 2009 Annual Meeting in Tucson, Ariz.

Description: An overview of the Medicare Supplement landscape and the critical factors for successfully pricing and managing this product line amidst the challenges that exist.

Description: This article focuses on the capitation rate development methodology for the Medicare-Medicaid Financial Alignment Demonstration. It also describes the background behind the establishment of the initiative and how it will be evaluated.

Description: The healthcare industry is in the middle of extraordinary times. This article outlines the many forces driving this transformation, as well as various obstacles. This has both personal and business implications to health actuaries.

Description: Highlights of health related articles from the North American Actuarial Journal. A paper on health care reform and efficiency is published in a recent issue of the NAAJ.