Annual Meeting Health & Welfare Sessions
104 - Beyond Traditional Healthcare Plans: Evaluating Alternatives
As costs rise, employers are taking a closer look at whether the status quo still works for their active employees in the commercial healthcare market. Speakers explore the evolution of employer-sponsored benefits, key challenges facing the group model, and emerging alternatives. Drawing on perspectives from industry experts, the discussion addresses a range of emerging alternatives and highlights the opportunities, risks, and real-world considerations for organizations considering a transition.
Credits:
CPD Credit: 1.50
105 - The US Healthcare System: How we got Here and Where is it Going?
In a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, understanding how we arrived here is essential to navigating what comes next. This session offers healthcare actuaries a streamlined look at how the US healthcare system evolved into today’s high-cost environment and where it is heading. Speakers from leading healthcare think tanks will highlight key historical drivers – such as market consolidation, rising specialty drug costs, and regulatory shifts – and outline emerging trends that will shape future cost pressures and system reforms.
Credits:
CPD Credit: 1.50
204 - Current Topics in Medicare Advantage and Part D
Speakers highlight current topics in Medicare Advantage, Part D, and changes to the programs due to the Inflation Reduction Act. Topics will include Medicare Advantage, Part D, employer-sponsored Medicare plans and OPEB valuation issues.
Credits:
CPD Credit: 1.50
205 - Double Digit Healthcare Trend
Employer healthcare cost increases have accelerated in recent years, approaching or exceeding 10%. Join today’s panel as we look at the drivers of this increase, consider what is controllable from an employer’s perspective, and debate their relevance and impact going forward. Topic to consider include insurer/provider negotiation, federal legislation and regulation, AI, population health, and workforce dynamics.
Credits:
CPD Credit: 1.50
304 - Emerging PBMs and Other Pharmacy Topics
In recent years, we have seen the introduction of alternative PBM vendors. Speakers will highlight differences with the new PBM models relative to traditional PBMs. Additional topics driving costs in pharmacy benefits will be discussed such as most favored nations pricing, specialty drugs, and GLP-1s.
Credits:
CPD Credit: 1.50
305 - Value Based Care
Value-Based Care ties provider reimbursements to the quality and outcomes of care rather than the volume of services provided. An evidence-based approach that addresses access, quality, service, and costs encourages healthcare hospitals and providers to deliver better care by rewarding them for achieving specific metrics tied to outcomes and improved patient experiences. Our panel of actuaries and clinicians (who have experience in transitioning employer-sponsored health plans from traditional pricing strategies to value-based approaches) provide their insights into the models used in these programs and the factors that drive success for patients and health systems to reduce total costs, improve care, and yet make health sustainable for all.
Credits:
CPD Credit: 1.50
404 - Total Rewards Strategy: Aligning HR Strategy with Financial Reality
Stop treating your budget as an enemy and start leveraging it as a competitive weapon. This session reveals how to break down the silos between HR and finance, transforming compensation, benefits, and development into a high ROI integrated strategy that fuels retention without breaking the bank. Learn to bridge the gap between people goals and profit margins.
• To incorporate – this is a panel
• Types of wellness programs
• Interactive session
Credits:
CPD Credit: 1.50
405 - AI for Healthcare Actuaries
This is a practical session on where AI can add value in health actuarial work today – automating data prep, accelerating analysis and reporting, and supporting forecasting and insights. We’ll highlight real-use cases, common pitfalls, and the governance actuaries need to get right (privacy/PHI, bias, and documentation). Attendees will leave with a simple framework for adopting AI responsibly and identifying the near-term opportunities in their workflow.
Credits:
CPD Credit: 1.50
004 - Professionalism and Ethics for Healthcare Actuaries
Adhering to Actuarial Standards of Practice, applying sound judgement and analytical rigor, prioritizing ethical decision-making and communicating complex results clearly and responsibly for healthcare actuaries is what you can expect to learn in this session through interactive case studies written by the panelists. There will be prizes!
Credits:
CPD Credit: 2.00
504 - How Hospitals and Healthcare Providers are Using AI and Why Consultants Should Pay Attention
AI is already being used across hospitals and provider organizations to improve operations, clinical support, patient flow, documentation, and cost management. Many discussions, however, focus on the technology itself rather than how these tools are being applied in everyday care delivery. This session provides practical examples of how health systems are using AI today and translates those use cases into implementations for cost, utilization, risk, and operations. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of what is happening inside health systems and how to apply this knowledge in client conversations and advisory work.
Credits:
CPD Credit: 1.50
505 - Should we do ICHRA? Financial Considerations for Employer Decision Makers
This session builds upon last year’s ICHRA introduction by focusing on the numbers consulting actuaries are asked to produce. After a brief refresher on ICHRA fundamentals, we’ll walk through the core financial considerations employers and their advisors need to evaluate – cost trajectory and budget control, risk transfer and volatility, affordability guardrails, administrative compliance costs, and employee impact tradeoffs. Attendees will leave with a practical framework to help HR and Finance respond to C Suite questions like, “Why aren’t we doing ICHRA?”
Credits:
CPD Credit: 1.50
Healthcare Community Forum
The CCA Healthcare Community meets to discuss current issues, outlooks, and news. Neither CCA nor community membership is required to attend.
Credits:
604 - Pre-Medicare and Medicare Market Update
Elevated costs and legislative changes have put pressure on employers offering Pre-Medicare and Medicare Eligible coverage. Join us as we discuss some of the drivers of cost, how the market dynamics are changing, and what employers are doing to manage their retiree medical offerings.
Credits:
CPD Credit: 1.50
605 - The Current State of Ancillary Benefits
Ancillary benefits, such as life insurance, disability and leaves of absence, dental, (mission?) and voluntary benefits are an important part of an employee’s healthcare benefits offering. This session will cover the ancillary benefits landscape and focus on recent changes and innovations in this space.
Credits:
CPD Credit: 1.50
704 - SOA Research and the Actuarial Profession in an AI Driven Era
The Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute continues to invest heavily in forward looking research that informs actuarial practice across health, retirement, and financial security—while also preparing the profession for rapid technological change. Presenters highlight select, recent SOA research initiatives, offering insight into how research topics are identified, funded, and translated into practical value for actuaries and their stakeholders.
A central focus of the discussion is expected to be the growing role of artificial intelligence in the actuarial profession. Come to learn how the SOA is addressing AI through research, governance frameworks, and partnerships, and what these efforts mean for actuarial work in healthcare and beyond. Panelists also provide perspective on how actuaries can engage with SOA research—both as consumers and contributors—as the profession evolves.
Credits:
CPD Credit: 1.50
705 - Healthcare on the Hill
Healthcare policies continue to be a hot topic on Capitol Hill. Panelists dive deeper into what policies have already been implemented, what may be in the pipeline for healthcare legislation and regulation, and how midterms could shape what comes next.
Credits:
CPD Credit: 1.50