Dave and Andrew discuss the similarities and differences in actuarial work between working for an integrated delivery system (or payer/provider combinations) vs. a traditional insurance company/health plan, including advantages, challenges and tips for new actuaries starting work at a payer/provider organizations. 

It’s time for the big reveal as we find out which of our two podcast hosts prevailed in the hotly contested 2021 Milliman Health Practice Hackathon. Was Shea able to leverage his years of machine learning and predictive analytics experience to guide his team to the victory? Or was Anders poised for a “student has become the teacher” situation after absorbing Shea’s wisdom over the last six years of recording podcasts together? In addition to discussing the much-awaited final score, the hosts talk about what key factors influenced the outcome. They wrap up the series by looking back at the competition as a whole, what they learned, and things to consider for others hosting or participating in a hackathon-style competition.

Solutions in healthcare to drive better care at a reduced cost have grown significantly over the past 5 years.  Dave Dillon talks to Ed Pudlowski about the role health actuaries play to bring credibility to the claims made by these solution providers.

Anders is back in the host chair as we hear from Shea and Tanner Boyle, who were on a competing team in the 2021 Milliman Health Practice Hackathon. Similar to the discussion in part two of the series, today’s discussion touches on high level topics like strategy, time management, and organization, but also gets into the weeds with some of the decisions Shea and Tanner’s team made regarding feature engineering, algorithms, and ensembling. Shea and Tanner talk about what went well for their team, as well as some areas where they felt they could have improved. The discussion provides an informative complement to part two, highlighting the ways that different groups actuaries and data scientists can approach the same problem.

Now is the time to become a candidate for an SOA Section Council. Current Section Council members Joe Alaimo and Kevin Duran walk you through why and how to volunteer for this important leadership position.

Mike Green, FSA, MAAA, Vice Present at Canada Life Re sharing his insights with podcast host Jing Lang, FSA, FCIA, MAAA, FLMI.

Tonya Manning, Buck’s Wealth Practice Leader & Chief Actuary, recent DOL appointee to Advisory Council and Former SOA and IAA President is interviewed. Tonya discusses her career, leadership at two major actuarial firms, public pensions, and her actuarial volunteer work.

Shea plays the role of host today and talks shop with Anders and Nick Vander Heyden, who competed as part of a team in the 2021 Milliman Health Practice Hackathon. The gang covers a wide range of topics, including team strategy and organization, exploratory data analysis, feature engineering, and choice of algorithm. Although Anders and Nick were generally pleased with their team’s performance, they discuss what they wish they had done differently and what they would have done to refine their predictions with more time. The discussion illuminates the practical considerations involved in tackling a real-world predictive analytics project and why the human element is still a critical part of machine learning.

In this episode, Dave Dillon interviews Dustin Ryan, FSA, MAAA about the everchanging landscape of Medicaid pharmacy.  They discuss how the states pulling the levers in the pharmacy world to lower their drug expenditures.  They dive into the impact of state impacts on MCOs and the future of pharmacy.