Description: Discover a comparison of U.S. and international mandated leave programs which mandate employers to provide a minimum level of benefits to employees for qualifying leaves of absence, such as parental leave or medical leave.

Description: This session will explore the financial health of rural hospitals, especially as it relates to the impact of payer cost containment strategies and government policies. Since 2005, more than 100 rural hospitals have closed and 600 more are at risk.

Description: After 10 years, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) risk adjustment program has evolved as the ACA has evolved. In recent years the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has focused on predictive accuracy over compensating for actuarial risk and has failed to address systemic issues such as insolvencies that created suboptimal outcomes for the ACA markets.

Description: "Hear an overview of recent results and potential scenarios that may impact the future of the ACA market. Review recent reported industry level profitability before transitioning to a discussion of how current market dynamics may influence the future profitability of this segment. Results from microsimulation economic models will be presented to help illuminate market shifts. Issues that will be explored include how ICRA availability might influence individual decision making, as well as how a move to level funding is impacting the small group market. By attending this session, you will: Understand the recent average and variation of industry performance in the ACA market segment. Describe current policy and market forces that are expected to impact this segment. Explain the range of market scenarios that may result due to these forces."

Description: Learn about key topics affecting actuaries working in the dental insurance space! The session will include valuable information for health actuaries looking to better understand how dental fits into Medicaid, Medicare, commercial, and ACA markets.

Description: Medicare and Medicaid finance more than half of American health care. Medicare and Medicaid are at the forefront of nearly every major change in U.S. health care payments, from DRGs in the 1980s to today’s value-based care. Listen to a conversation with Bruce Pyenson, FSA, MAAA, who recently completed six years as a Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) commissioner and Stacey Lampkin, FSA, MAAA, who recently completed six years as a Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) commissioner. Hear about programs’ current challenges, what changes the ex-Commissioners anticipate over the next few years, and how these changes might impact Medicare and Medicaid managed care plans, and spillover into employer-sponsored and individual commercial insurance. By attending this session, you will be able to appreciate the role of Medicare and Medicaid as health care payment change agents and foresee future health care payment changes.

Description: Join our exciting panel of health actuaries, ready for any challenge! Got an ACA puzzle? We've got the answers! Tackling a valuation dilemma? We're here to crack it! Facing a professionalism quandary? We'll navigate the complexities! Dealing with regulatory worries? We're your guiding light! Every question is welcome - there's no such thing as a silly question! Learning Outcomes: - Attendees will have the opportunity to get answers to their questions.

Description: The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) introduced major changes to the Part D program. This session will unpack the impact of IRA's benefit redesign in 2025 premiums, costs, and beneficiary choices, and the implication of drug price negotiation in 2026. We will discuss how Part D plans are adapting to these changes, lessons learned from the 2025 bids, and what we can expect in 2026 after the price negotiation of the top ten Part D drugs.

Description: While we are eight miles from Capitol Hill and a week away from the 2024 presidential election, actuaries and health policy experts will discuss the campaign platforms of the major parties and presidential candidates and the potential health policy implications in the next four years. Focus will be on the changing dynamics within ACA marketplaces with the knowledge benefit of both major party candidates having presidential administrative experience in the ACA environment. Session attendees will be well-equipped to discuss the post-ACA health policy implementation of Presidents Biden and Trump, recent policy proposals from both sides of the political aisle, and potential legislative/regulatory changes on the horizon.

Description: The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program is a major source of income protection for disabled Americans. Private disability plans, especially group long-term disability plans, typically offset for SSDI benefits, so the programs are closely related.