Critical Point

Learn about five trends and creative approaches heading into 2022 for supplemental health benefits. Strategy consultant Christin Kuretich fuses Milliman market intel with a broader lens on society and the shifting nature of the workplace, to make some educated predictions on what we will see change and evolve in the voluntary benefits market. From mental health benefits to pet insurance and product design disruption, Christin gives a high-level overview on emerging approaches to supplemental products. Stay tuned for future episodes in this series, which will take a deeper dive into product design.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

For corporate financial officers who are considering a pension annuity buyout, there’s an opportunity cost to 100% risk transfer, as Milliman’s Zorast Wadia and Bret Linton discuss on this episode of Critical Point. With the passage of the COVID-19 stimulus, many CFOs and plan sponsors likely see the second half of 2021 as an opportune time to de-risk their company’s pension liabilities; but pension risk transfer via an annuity buyout creates the potential to leave money on the table. This episode dives into the differences between pension risk mitigation and transfer, and some of the benefits of plan hibernation over annuity buyouts.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

In fall 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the looming flu season, public health experts feared the possibility of a “twindemic”—a one-two punch of Coronavirus plus influenza. But that year, flu cases hit historic lows. The so-called twindemic never happened. Milliman health care expert Ellyn Russo discusses why the volume of flu cases decreased, and what health care systems can learn from this phenomenon.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

In late July, the IRS provided additional guidance on changes to single-employer defined benefit pension plan cash contribution rules under the American Rescue Plan. In this episode of Critical Point, Milliman pension consultants Charlie Clark and Casey Baldwin break down the guidance and what it means for pension plans and their plan sponsors. Baldwin and Clark discuss the implications for interest rate relief, amortization rates, prefunding balances, and written elections, among other things. They also share pitfalls to be aware of under this guidance.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

When it comes to long-term care, what are some of the benefits and challenges of aging-in-place services, and how can these work hand-in-hand with long term care insurance? In this episode of Critical Point, Milliman’s Robert Eaton and Missy Gordon are joined by Char Hu, founder and CEO of The Helper Bees, a healthcare insurtech company that offers care concierge services for LTCI carriers and health plans. The three experts discuss trends in the LTCI market, the rise of virtual care, and how aging-in-place services can improve experience for both policyholders and insurers. They also dive into how predictive analytics plays an important role in understanding aging-in-place needs and long-term care insurance.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

Milliman pension experts Charlie Clark, Vanessa Vaag, and Grant Camp discuss how the American Rescue Plan Act may impact single and multiemployer pension plans, and why pension funding has been integrated into the bill. The conversation ranges from the $86 billion special financial assistance for multiemployer plans, good faith compliance, and what plan sponsors should to consider when taking potential action as a result of ARPA.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

Flooding stands out among other natural catastrophes because of the risk it poses to the financial health of the average U.S. homeowner. In this episode, Milliman flood risk experts Dave Evans and Cody Webb are joined by Andrew Netter from Milliman’s mortgage group and Brand Katz from KatRisk to discuss the relationship between flood insurance and mortgage risk, and how that risk can impact financial instruments designed to cover mortgage default exposure.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred—and aggravated—a range of mental health and substance use issues in the United States. In this episode, Milliman’s Stoddard Davenport talks with host Lesley Pink about how different populations are faring on the mental health front, how the rising demand for mental health services is being met, and how recent statistics reveal the depth of the problem in this country.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

COVID-19 has dramatically increased the use of telehealth services across the U.S. In this episode, Milliman’s Susan Philip sits down with Mei Kwong, executive director of the Center for Connected Health Policy, to discuss some of the biggest changes to telehealth in 2020, including regulatory changes around reimbursement and access, provider usage, and ways in which the service has been an integral part of healthcare during the global pandemic.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.

COVID-19 has had far-reaching economic implications, but what does the pandemic mean for the U.S. mortgage market? On this episode of Critical Point, Milliman’s Mike Schmitz from the firm’s mortgage practice, and Chris Harner from Milliman’s Cyber Risk Solutions group, discuss the impact of the pandemic on mortgage defaults and the credit risk market. While unemployment spiked and remains high, Schmitz notes that mortgage risk is much more sensitive to home prices than unemployment rates, and currently all signs point to market trends that will not be as severe as during the global financial crisis.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.