Research Insights, a Society of Actuaries Podcast

In this special holiday episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Institute's Research Insights Podcast, host Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research, is joined by the full research team to reflect on the biggest developments of 2025. Featuring voices from across the Institute—including Achilles Natsis, Joe Alaimo, Kara Clark, Lisa Schilling, Nicole Anagnos, Patrick Nolan, Philip Adams, Rob Montgomery, and Steve Siegel—this festive episode highlights key research across areas such as artificial intelligence, climate risks, mortality and longevity, diversity and inclusion, health care trends, retirement, and more.

The team shares personal reflections, professional milestones, and insights into some of the year's most impactful research projects—from the ACA@15 report and AI in health care, to experience studies and socioeconomic mortality trends. Major global and actuarial risks are also revisited, including climate events, geopolitical shifts, and the rise of advanced AI technologies.

🎧 Don't miss this celebratory wrap-up and reflection on the year that was.

In this December Classic episode of Research Insights, host Dale Hall revisits a timely and impactful conversation originally released on July 23, 2018. The episode explores the U.S. Human Mortality Database and highlights the critical value of long-term, reliable mortality records in understanding population health.

As we mark Universal Health Coverage Day this December, this episode serves as a compelling reminder that strong health systems depend on strong data. From identifying mortality patterns to analyzing longevity trends, this discussion offers insights that are essential for designing equitable and sustainable health coverage for all.

Listeners will hear how mortality data shapes policy and actuarial practice—and why it matters now more than ever.

In this episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Insights Podcast, Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research at the SOA Research Institute, welcomes Geralyn Trujillo, Senior Director of Public Policy at the American Academy of Actuaries. Together, they provide an insightful recap of the 2025 NAIC Fall Meeting held in Hollywood, Florida, December 8-11, 2025.

The discussion covers key takeaways from the meeting, including updates from the SOA on climate-related research such as climate-induced migration, sea level rise, and wildfires, as well as important developments in long-term care experience studies and global mortality experience studies from Canada and China.

Tune in for a deep dive into the issues shaping regulatory, policy, and actuarial landscapes in the U.S. and globally.

Classic Replay: Medicaid Managed Care – Considerations in Calculating Margin

In recognition of National Family Caregivers Month, we're re-releasing this classic episode from June 26, 2017. Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research at the Society of Actuaries, is joined by Steve Siegel, SOA Research Actuary, and Sarah Tepema of Health Care Service Corporation. The conversation explores the SOA's report "Medicaid Managed Care Organizations: Considerations in Calculating Margin in Rate Setting."

Listeners will gain insight into how states structure capitation rates for MCOs, how margins are defined and used beyond just profit, and the real-world impacts these margins have on Medicaid programs—especially important for populations relying heavily on caregivers.

For more information on this report visit: https://www.soa.org/resources/research-reports/2017/medicaid-margins/

In this episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Insights Podcast, Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research at the Society of Actuaries, explores the 2019 Individual Life Insurance Mortality Experience Report with two expert guests: Jim Toole, FSA, CERA, MAAA, Chief Luminary at Aurora Actuarial, and Philip Adams, FSA, CERA, MAAA, Senior Experience Studies Actuary at the SOA Research Institute.

They discuss the significant shifts in mortality trends from 2012 through 2019, including the dominance of level premium term insurance, the introduction of expanded preferred underwriting classes, and the increase in older age issue ages. The conversation also highlights the transition of data collection from MIB to the NAIC, and how predictive analytics like boosted decision trees and vine copulas were leveraged for data validation and insights.

Actuaries will find insights into how these findings can support pricing, reserving, and risk management efforts, along with resources such as Tableau dashboards and downloadable text files that make data analysis more accessible. With post-2019 data expected soon, this episode offers timely reflections on the evolving landscape of individual life insurance mortality.

Access the report and related materials by visiting the SOA website at: https://www.soa.org/resources/research-reports/2025/us-historical-mortality-rates/

In this episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Insights Podcast, host Kara Clark, Senior Research Actuary at the SOA Research Institute, is joined by Al Klein, Principal and Consulting Actuary at Milliman, and Erik Pickett, Actuary and Chief Content Officer at Club Vita. Together, they discuss Chapter 10: Catastrophes from the paper Long-Term Drivers of Future Mortality, authored by Yair Babad and Al Klein for the 2023 Living to 100 Symposium.

This episode dives into the complex and varied effects that catastrophes—natural, man-made, and biological—have on mortality. Topics include wildfires, droughts, war, terrorism, pandemics, and the challenges actuaries face when modeling these unpredictable yet impactful events.

This is the final chapter in the podcast series based on this important research paper. To explore the full series and access the original report, visit the landing page: https://www.soa.org/resources/research-reports/2025/longterm-drivers-futuremort-podseries/

🎧 Tune in to gain key takeaways on how to incorporate catastrophic risk into future mortality projections.

Classic Replay: Takaful—An Alternative Approach to Insurance

In recognition of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the Society of Actuaries Research Institute is re-releasing a compelling episode from the Research Insights Podcast archive: "Takaful: An Alternative Approach to Insurance."

In this conversation, Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research at the SOA Research Institute, sits down with consulting actuary and author Shariq Sikander, FSA, FPSA, CERA, to explore how Takaful—a Shari'ah-compliant, cooperative insurance model—embodies principles of ethical investing, surplus sharing, and community support. Together, they discuss how this values-based system not only aligns with cultural and religious beliefs but also promotes financial inclusion and poverty alleviation across global markets.

As we reflect on the importance of economic empowerment and access to financial protection, this classic episode reminds us how innovation in insurance can help build more equitable systems—ones designed to serve, not just insure.

Tune in to revisit this thought-provoking discussion and consider how alternative frameworks like Takaful might inspire the next chapter of inclusive financial solutions.

Landing page: https://www.soa.org/resources/research-reports/2024/takaful-alternative-approach/

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In this episode of the Research Insights Podcast, host Kara Clark, Senior Practice Research Actuary, is joined by returning guests Al Klein, Principal and Consulting Actuary at Milliman, and Erik Pickett, Actuary and Chief Content Officer at Club Vita. Together, they explore Chapter 9 of the SOA Research Institute's paper, Long-Term Drivers of Future Mortality, which focuses on the environment's influence on mortality.

This compelling conversation unpacks how pollution, chemical exposure, and climate-related events such as heatwaves, floods, and droughts are shaping mortality risks—both today and in the future. With a focus on geographic disparities and socioeconomic vulnerability, the discussion also highlights the actuarial implications of these long-term environmental trends.

This podcast is part of a special series supporting the SOA Research Institute paper Long-Term Drivers of Future Mortality.

📘 Explore the full report and other chapters

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Classic Replay: Actuaries with Unconventional Second Acts In celebration of International Literacy Day, the Society of Actuaries Research Institute is re-releasing a standout episode from the Research Insights Podcast archive. This inspiring conversation features actuarial "rock stars" Greg Jacobs and Shane Chalke, who share their extraordinary career journeys and the second acts that followed. Greg found new purpose as a scuba instructor, while Shane transitioned into the world of jazz music!

Hosted by Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research at the Society of Actuaries Research Institute, this episode explores how storytelling and life experiences contribute to professional literacy.

Tune in for a fresh listen to this memorable episode that reminds us how actuaries can turn their analytical skills into creative, purpose-filled pursuits.

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In this episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Insights Podcast, host Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research at the SOA Research Institute, welcomes Geralyn Trujillo, Senior Director of Public Policy at the American Academy of Actuaries. Together, they provide a timely and insightful recap of the NAIC Summer Meeting, held August 10–13, 2025, in Minneapolis.

This episode highlights key regulatory discussions, actuarial research presented at CASTF, HATF, and LATF, and emerging issues such as climate-induced migration, the application of machine learning and high-resolution imagery in property insurance, and updated experience studies across disability, annuity, life, and long-term care lines.

Listeners are encouraged to explore more details from the meeting once the recap is published by visiting the SOA Select Articles from E-Newsletters landing page.

Tune in for expert insights on where actuarial science meets public policy!

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