Critical Point

When the SECURE 2.0 Act passed in late 2022, it introduced 92 provisions affecting retirement plans—and created a long to-do list for plan professionals. In this episode of Critical Point, Milliman employee benefits expert Nina Lantz talks with Brandy Cross, our director of defined contribution (DC) plan compliance, about how DC plans are coping. 

Learn which provisions plan sponsors are addressing first, and why it’s OK to wait before making plan changes. Plus, don’t miss Nina’s companion episode on SECURE 2.0’s impact on defined benefit plans.

You can read the episode transcript on our website .

More than three years after the coronavirus shut down the world, the Biden administration announced in early 2023 the end of the U.S. National Emergency and the Public Health Emergency, two declarations that had mandated health insurance coverage of COVID-19 tests and vaccines, among other requirements. As these regulations are now rolled back, what does that mean for employer-sponsored health plans? 

In this episode of Critical Point, Milliman health experts discuss the implications, from whether to continue paying for at-home COVID-19 tests and when to phase out standalone telehealth benefits, to how to communicate any changes with plan members at this significant moment in the pandemic. 

You can read the episode transcript on our website.

As climate change causes more storms and floods, residents of coastal areas are being forced to move inland—driving up rents and displacing current residents of those regions. Milliman recently studied this issue in a paper called “Climate Displacement in New York City: Making Space for Our Neighbors,” published with Rebuild by Design, a nonprofit that helps communities build resilience. On this episode of Critical Point, two of the study authors discuss the groups most at risk, designing Manhattan to be more like Hong Kong, and how 40% of New Yorkers may be displaced without proactive city planning.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

Hear from Milliman’s first female principal, Peggy Pearson, about her path from homemaker (and home economics major) to actuarial leader, all while breaking through the cultural barriers of the time. In honor of Milliman’s 75th anniversary, Peggy sits down with current Milliman principals Angela Bolduc and Kim Guerriero to discuss how she “got into actuarial work on a dare,” her experience as a female leader in a primarily male-dominated field, and what has changed – and still needs to change – for women in the workplace.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

Church retirement plan sponsors face unique considerations. While helping to position their clergy and other plan members for a secure future, they also must stay competitive across the wider benefits landscape to recruit and retain lay employees. For a look at how one diocese manages these pressures, Milliman actuaries Jake Pringle and Delbert Zamora sat down with Gary Patton, HR director for the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

Insurtech never stops evolving. In this episode of Critical Point, Milliman actuaries Sheri Scott and Robert Eaton discuss recent trends they’ve seen and opportunities on the horizon--everything from new motion data and technology for improving the customer experience, to coverage for emerging risks including autonomous trucks, cryptocurrency, and even space travel.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

The VM-20 requirement is no longer hypothetical—it’s here, and it’s had a big impact on principle-based reserving for the life insurance industry. In this episode of Critical Point, we hear how experts are coping. Michael McCarty from Legal & General America shares the direct carrier’s side, while Laiping Wong-Stewart from RGA brings the reinsurer’s perspective. They are joined by Milliman actuaries Uri Sobel and Paul Fedchak in a conversation about the challenges and successes surrounding assumption setting, governance processes, and other changes created with the new regulation.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

Learn how SECURE 2.0 could derail or reduce participant contributions, and what plan sponsors and HR professionals need to know about this potential regulation. In this episode of Critical Point, Milliman’s Jason Brantley sits down with Charles Clark and Karina Guerrero to talk about surprises in SECURE 2.0 and some of the details below the headlines. They’ll discuss the impact to required minimum distributions (RMDs), catchup contributions, and what this means for companies with non-full-time employees.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

Hear real-life experiences and get an “inside the company” look at the regulatory examination of principles-based reserve valuations for life insurers. PBR is a new method of determining U.S. statutory reserves in life insurance that better quantifies product risks. Milliman’s Karen Rudolph sits down with Catherine Murphy from John Hancock and Sarah Theis from WoodmenLife, qualified actuaries who will share firsthand experiences around the regulatory review of PBR valuations within their respective companies.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

In this one-on-one conversation with Vicky Nevin, Microsoft’s head of international compensation and benefits, learn how a leading multinational organization is approaching its compensation and benefits strategy and overcoming global challenges. Vicky speaks with Milliman / MBWL global EB leader John-Paul Augeri to share perspectives and priorities for benefits leaders during this time of global change.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.