The CCA’s Business Session begins with the welcoming of attendees, announcement of new directors, Treasurer’s Report and presentation of the CCA’s annual awards. The keynote presentation is provided by organizational psychologist, researcher, and New York Times best-selling author Dr. Tasha Eurich. Globally recognized as the leading self-awareness coach and organizational culture expert, Tasha is the principal of The Eurich Group, a boutique executive development firm that helps companies—from start-ups to the Fortune 100—succeed by improving the effectiveness of their leaders and teams. She uses science to help successful leaders achieve dramatic and measurable change. Having built a reputation as a fresh, modern voice in the business world, Tasha pairs her grounding in human behavior with a pragmatic approach to professional development.

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Speakers discuss the latest developments in the private pension sector. Recent rulings and regulations - proposed and final - are covered, in addition to pending retirement plan legislation and recent litigation activity.

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Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) is more than a buzz word. Learn how payers are identifying and addressing members needs and behaviors across all lines of business to drive strategy and performance. Panelists cover the types of payer, public and consumer data used, practical use cases, as well as measurable outcomes. Attendees can gain awareness of this emerging area, the value it can drive, and how it may impact future trends.

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Behavioral economics is the study of psychological, emotional, and social decision making. The systems that actuaries serve are all affected by the choices made by individuals, such as when to retire, what to do with my 401(k) balance, which health care option to choose and should I really spend 15 minutes to save 15% or more on car insurance. Speakers at this session explore the application of behavioral psychologies and data analytics to understand how individuals and institutions make decisions.

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Speakers at this session discuss how the challenges of retirement benefits are being addressed in various countries.

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The Code of Professional Conduct and ASOPs provide a strong professional framework, but what happens when you fall into the gray area of professional judgement? What if your judgement is called into question? Come ready to discuss case studies related to the gray area of professional judgement. Not to be confused with the ethics sessions, this discussion will focus on professional judgement.

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While on the surface, the US and international accounting methodologies have similar goals, and share many similarities, there are numerous underlying differences in practice. Speakers at this session will identify many of these differences, highlight the common issues that arise when US companies/subsidiaries report under IFRS, and help you avoid potential audit pitfalls along the way.

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Speakers at this session cover benefit administration issues with which public pension plans are currently managing, including benefits administration in the era of COVID-19.

Additional benefit administration topics that may be discussed include:

• Section 415 administration;
• Actuarially equivalent optional benefit factors;
• Challenges for plans that allow for changes due to death/divorcee etc.; and
• Issues for plans that tie the factors to valuation assumptions.
• QDROs or division of property rules;
• Possible offset when alternate payee commences benefits prior to member.
• Service purchases;
• COLA administration;
• Transfers among reserve funds;
• Rehires, including special critical shortage laws; and
• Member education sessions.

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Members of the CCA Women in Consulting Community are scheduled to hold an informal forum to discuss current issues and outlooks. While CCA membership is not required to participate in this forum, members can join this or any other community and participate in discussions through our online platform, Community. Go to https://www.ccactuaries.org/go/community to get started.

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PBGC representatives discuss current topics and issues relevant to single and multiemployer retirement plans.

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Strategies in developing executive benefits including a look at benchmarking to market, and new developments and impact from Section 162(m) and 409A.

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(Polling Included) This session will highlight current topics in Medicare Advantage and Part D using an interactive format with presentations and audience polling. Topics may include Medicare Advantage, Part D, and retiree medical plans.

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Our work is incomplete without effective communication with our clients. We also know that clients judge our quality based on how effectively we communicate. We are now adapting to the new business environment, where our meetings with clients and colleagues are virtual. Attention spans are shorter, and it’s more challenging to engage your audience. In other words, we have to “up our game” for effective communication with our clients. In this interactive workshop, we will discuss how to:

• Develop a multilayered approach to communicating your and your client's work;
• Learn best practices around visualizing data;
• Engage your audience by “chunking” your information and asking intentional questions; and
• Learn how to employ the lessons learned into real examples.

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At the November 13, 2019 Intersector Group Meeting with IRS/Treasury, members discussed IRC 430/436 funding balance issues that arise in practice. The IRS representatives indicated they are looking for areas in IRC 430/436 that are not working well and would welcome comment letters. At this session, panelists present their thoughts on IRC 430/436 challenges that can result in inadvertent errors. Audience participation is encouraged.

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The speakers address questions about what is new with prescription drugs. Topics include the current pharmacy landscape, trends, specialty drugs and gene therapy, COVID-19 impact on prescription drug utilization, and point of sale rebates.

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It's easy to get caught up in focusing on the risks and costs of pension plans, but these concerns often obscure their core value and utility. This session will explore the reasons why retirement benefits are offered to public employees, metrics for quantifying the value of offering these programs, and discuss pension benefits assessment approaches. We will dive into ways retirement security assessments are being used in practice, including current research into assessing benefits being offered by public systems.

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The past few years have seen a number of judicial decisions affecting withdrawal liability determinations. With input from two lawyers who practice in this area, we will review some of the more significant court cases which influence who pays withdrawal liability and how much. We will cover the NY Times, Manhattan Ford, Metz, Sun Capital, ManWeb and any other important cases decided by then.

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(Polling Included) Panelists pose a series of ethical situations, and poll attendees to start a discussion on the underlying ethical issues.

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(Polling Included) Panelists discuss recent professionalism-based issues in the actuarial profession including the new modeling and credibility ASOPs.

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Members of the CCA Healthcare Community are scheduled to hold an informal forum to discuss current issues and outlooks. While CCA membership is not required to participate in this forum, members can join this or any other community and participate in discussions through our online platform, Community. Go to https://www.ccactuaries.org/go/community to get started.

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Providing lifetime retirement income in defined contribution plans remains a challenging topic. Learn about the latest in decumulation strategies, longevity annuities, and spend down strategies.

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(Polling Included) Get your popcorn, take a seat, and enjoy the fireworks as speakers debate the healthcare policy proposals on the 2020 ballot.

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Nearly all of the Fortune 500 companies and thousands of mid-size companies maintain captive insurance companies for global enterprise risk financing. The speakers cover hedging and reinsurance strategies for captive portfolios that hold a wide variety of risk lines - property and casualty, employee benefits, and financial products. A case study illustrates how one company maximizes the captive’s contribution to its overall financial strategies.

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Does the current structure provide value for all stakeholders? Should the current balance of risk-sharing among stakeholders be re-examined? Are intergenerational tensions forcing us to re-think what we have now? What about other demographic considerations? What's working and what should be changed? This session will explore case studies that have addressed these issues.

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(Polling Included) Actuaries perform a variety of roles for clients. Many large, corporate clients have inside and outside ERISA counsel, investment advisors, and benefit administrators who they can rely on for help in interpreting plan provisions, deciding benefit entitlement in unclear situations, recommending investments, and other activities with fiduciary implications. Smaller companies may be more likely to ask their actuary for help or advice on such matters. The fiduciary landscape also differs for public and multiemployer plan actuaries.

Presenters explore the responsibilities of fiduciaries, what activities an actuary might perform that could make the actuary a fiduciary, and whether there are situations in which actuaries may want to become plan fiduciaries. In addition, they consider whether the actuary has responsibilities to plan participants, rather than simply to our clients, under the Code of Professional Conduct, the Actuarial Standards of Practice (ASOPs) and/or the Joint Board regulations, and how any such responsibilities may be similar to, or differ from, fiduciary responsibilities.

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The Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) does a number of research projects other than their annual cost trend reports. Many focus on explaining in more depth the results of their trend reports but some are in response to specific requests. The health care transparency website for the State of Florida is based on HCCI's Guroo site.

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Speakers discuss how to create an effective executive compensation and benefit program and how this varies between for-profit and not-for-profit entities.

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The word is out in Congress that some multiemployer funds are in trouble. The financial impact could be large upon participants and employers, communities, and the PBGC. In preparation for the debate and legislation that may be forthcoming, this session will cover the most recent developments to date, but absent that will focus on the Grassley/Alexander white paper and the breadth of its proposal.

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Certain employer costs increase as a worker's age increases. Yet at the same time older works can provide substantial value to their employers in terms of productivity and institutional knowledge. Where do these two viewpoints cross and how do you manage the costs compared to the value of an aging workforce? Panelists at this session compare both viewpoints and look at how retirement plans can factor into the equation.

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Actuaries believe numbers alone tell compelling stories, but do you truly understand what drives employers’ business decisions and choice to partner with certain vendors and consultants? During this panel discussion, employers will reveal requirements and expectations for the actuaries they collaborate with to transform the future of health care benefits at their organizations. Candid client feedback on the actuarial profession will provide participants with insights they can incorporate in practice immediately!

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The aging of the global population has profound effects on work, productivity, economic growth, health, and consumer spending patterns. This session will examine the current and future trends that will impact us all.

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Actuarial Standards of Practice (ASOPs) have been changing in recent years – with new standards and revisions to existing standards. Our panel of expert speakers address how these developments impact our day-to-day work, including assumption disclaimers and deviation clauses that may be needed as part of our actuarial communications. Panelists also discuss non-confidential aspects of recent ABCD cases related to adherence to the ASOPs.

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Members of the CCA Smaller Actuarial Consulting Firms Community are scheduled to hold an informal forum to discuss current issues and outlooks. While CCA membership is not required to participate in this forum, members can join this or any other community and participate in discussions through our online platform, Community. Go to https://www.ccactuaries.org/go/community to get started.

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ASOP 56 Modeling is effective October 1, 2020. This will be a scintillating session on this important new ASOP and other cross-discipline ASOPs that apply to the daily work of most consulting actuaries.

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We will discuss what the various agencies (IRS, DOL, and PBGC) are looking for and what they often find missing in responses.

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Panelists address strategies in funding nonqualified plan liabilities including COLI, mutual funds, as well as rabbi trust considerations, and de-risking including annuity buy-ins.

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Have you ever wondered:

• Isn't there a better, faster way to do this?
• What kind of analysis could I do with all my data?
• What types of data sets are out there that I could use?

In this session we will explore how predictive analytics and big data can advance the analysis we have been doing for a long time. We will explore stochastic modeling for traditionally deterministic analysis (trend, reserving, etc.), automating current work processes, and new data that you could use to take your work farther.

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If your client isn’t doing a deal right now, they’re thinking about it! Which actuaries get involved in the deal process, and what is our role? A panel representing actuaries from across disciplines (such as retirement, group and health, property and casualty, and enterprise risk) discuss their typical role in the deal life cycle, and which "client" most often brings them into the deal. We'll also discuss common issues faced in this type of work.

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This session literally tests your EA knowledge. Bring your HP-12C and your ERISA knowledge for this fun, interactive session with prizes for top finishers.

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Speakers at this session will cover small plan design issues in creating and maintaining cash balance/defined contribution combination plans and various "gotchas" that arise around consulting on these and other plan designs.

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An open discussion of the latest COVID-19 developments and its impact on providers, carriers and plan sponsors. From the provider perspective, topics include, risk adjustment challenges, backlogs for primary care physicians and other service areas, changes to network structures including telehealth, and membership shifts between lines of business. From the carrier perspective, dealing with the provider changes and a discussion of cost/utilization models. From the plan sponsor perspective, how the pandemic has shifted employer perspectives on their overall employment value proposition and medical benefits in particular. They will review the near- to medium- to long-term impact on employee benefit designs and costs.

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Is emptying the general fund wallet into the pension trust the best, or only, source of financing for public sector pensions? This session considers recent policy discussions that have looked at unconventional financing sources for public pension plans. Experts in such financing policy issues will provide insights on the status of pension financing in the public sector, including unconventional sources of plan funding such as pension obligation bonds and governmental asset transfers.

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Members of the CCA Public Plans Community are scheduled to hold an informal forum to discuss current issues and outlooks. While CCA membership is not required to participate in this forum, members can join this or any other community and participate in discussions through our online platform, Community. Go to https://www.ccactuaries.org/go/community to get started.

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The Secure Act of 2019 was the most significant piece of retirement plan legislation enacted since the Pension Protection Act of 2006. The Cares Act of 2020, in response to the Covid19 crisis, introduced additional wrinkles in plan administration and funding. Attending this session will help both you and your clients feel SECURE and free from any CARES regarding the new laws.

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Sustainable value-based care programs need strong provider performance as measured by quality of care and reduced spending for buyers. This session offers real-world insights into business approaches used by high-performance physician groups.

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Find out what happens after the deal is signed to make it happen seamlessly for employee pension and other benefit programs. What are the challenges and how do you overcome them? Learn about TSAs and other tricks of the trade to keep employees happy and running things smoothly.

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Interest rates, which have been near historic low levels for the past decade, dropped even further in reaction to this year's COVID-related downturn. Equity markets collapsed in the winter and then recovered strongly (some think perhaps too strongly) in the spring. A diverse panel shares their views on current economic and capital market conditions, and what these imply for longer-term interest rates and return outlooks for bonds and stocks.

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Required minimum distributions, missing participants, suspension of benefits notices, uncashed checks, auto rollovers, recent developments in participant notices and correcting mistakes are just some of the challenges of administering a defined benefit plan. Learn how administrators are handling some of these contemporary challenges.

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Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) is a discipline to which actuaries can and do greatly contribute. A panel of actuaries and non-actuaries discuss the day-to-day work of, the role of actuaries, and current “hot topics” in ERM. While not a professionalism session, per se, three ASOPs (46, 47 and 55) will be part of the discussion.

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This session addresses public pension funding policies, starting with updates on current model practices. We will then look at recent developments including how some states provide oversight on funding policy and how plans with fixed employer contribution rates assess the adequacy of those rates. Experts on funding policies from different environments will also provide insights on risks associated with contribution deferrals and other funding policy relief in reaction to the current stressful financial environment.

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Many plan sponsors have migrated to glide path and full LDI strategies. In this session we will explore advantages and disadvantages of these two approaches against traditional investment strategies.

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Learn about strategies to follow and pitfalls to avoid when working with a wide variety of PBGC-related issues. Topics include reportable events, corporate transactions (bankruptcy, 4062(e), dividend recaps), PBGC premiums for Cooperative and Small Employer Charity plans and more.

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Primary care physicians should be the entry point to all healthcare, but many times that is not the case. Direct primary care models are emerging to provide easier and more direct connectivity between patients and physicians. Panelists will provide perspectives on different models, including going direct to individuals or through employers. We will also learn how these models can benefit both patients and physicians.

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(Polling Included) Watch actuaries debate, and then you get to vote on the following topics:

• Updating mortality assumptions;
• Updating retirement assumptions;
• Asset valuation methods;
• Funding methods;
• Funding policies;
• What to include/exclude in/from valuation reports; and
• Comprehensiveness of IRC432 certification.

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$5 trillion resides in defined contribution/401(k) plans versus only $3 trillion in private sector defined benefit plans. How are DC plan designs helping participants to save and invest effectively? What are the investment trends in the DC landscape? Our panel will discuss recent trends in defined contribution plan design and investment, and hot topics that are on plan sponsors’ mind.

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Members of the CCA Multiemployer Plans Community are scheduled to hold an informal forum to discuss current issues and outlooks. While CCA membership is not required to participate in this forum, members can join this or any other community and participate in discussions through our online platform, Community. Go to https://www.ccactuaries.org/go/community to get started.

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Have a client rumored to be going into bankruptcy? Or maybe just missing a required contribution? What about a client with an overfunded plan that they want to terminate? This session will explore issues that arise when a plan sponsor can't make required contributions and/or files for bankruptcy protection. On the flip side, some of the challenges with terminating an overfunded plan will be discussed.

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(Polling Included) Valuation actuaries and auditors serve their mutual clients in different roles. They are often subject to different standards, responsibilities, and requirements. Sometimes they disagree while hopefully not being disagreeable. Panelists at this session expect to cover a broad array of topics such as professional responsibilities, audit issues that arise from time to time, subsequent events, materiality, and changes in Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) auditing standards related to reliance on a specialist and auditing estimates.

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Hospital consolidation has continued to be big news in many metropolitan markets across the US. Several studies have suggested that insurers and employers have experienced increases in medical costs in the years following significant mergers. This session reviews these studies and shares the results of these analyses.

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Global population aging, overall declining health, poor lifestyle habits, and increasing job- and family-related stress are the main factors driving increasing prevalence of chronic conditions, including mental health issues around the world. Most multinational companies are aware of the need to promote employee wellness to their global staff in order arrest rising medical cost patterns.

The speakers will present the global and regional health risk factors, how governments and employers are providing wellness assistance as well as discussing the impact on employee productivity - absenteeism and presenteeism - and the metrics used for tracking the effectiveness of wellness programs.

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Speakers at this session will cover the basics of small plan consulting and how they differ from consulting on larger plans. Topics include plan design, top heavy testing, PBGC issues, non-discrimination testing, document drafting, plan administration, and plan terminations.

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The 2010s was a decade marked by funding relief and the longest equity bull market in history, which eased the pressure of minimum pension contributions. While nobody knows how the 2020s will see a return to volatility, this decade got off to a wild start with interest rates at historic low levels, and the fear of a worldwide pandemic sent equity markets into a tailspin.

This session will focus on creative funding strategies to ensure your clients are getting the most bang for their pension contribution dollars, including cash planning, leveraging credit balances, and avoiding unforeseen surprises.

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Recently, a number of new, venture-backed organizations have been formed offering innovative health plan concepts. New entrants have been formed in multiple market areas including individual, Medicare Advantage, and employer-sponsored coverage. This session will focus on health plans offering a full health plan solution rather than components or elements of a plan. Panelists will provide insights into their innovative models including data supporting results to date, if available.

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(Polling Included) Speaker at this session cover a variety of OPEB topics, but not GASB! They investigate trends in funding OPEB across the country. Panelists also dig into emerging retiree health plan design options such as health reimbursement arrangements, Medicare Advantage plans, etc. Finally, they discuss some of the OPEB-specific assumptions such as participation rates, claims cost curves, and long-term medical trend.

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Speakers at this session look at the Social Security program from both micro/personal and macro/societal perspectives. First we'll explore the decisions and issues that are relevant to you as an individual beneficiary, then we'll talk about the larger issues involved in evaluating whether the program will actually be able to pay those promised benefits.

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Given the surprisingly passionate audience enthusiasm and participation in last year's stop loss session we've decided to bring it back for another round. This year's session will examine the stop loss market and key actuarial considerations from these three perspectives:

• Employer plans, including captive arrangements;
• Stop loss carrier; and
• State insurance regulator.

Both casualty and health practitioners will find this session engaging and useful.

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(Polling Included) Join us for an interactive session on the art of coaching employees for career development. As successful consultants on technical topics, it's not easy to transition to the role of coach for younger associates. This session will be structured as round table discussions on recognizing employee strengths and coaching for success.

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(Polling Included) Join your public retirement plan colleagues in a candid, open discussion of current issues. Actual session topics are determined by the attendees, but may include economic assumptions, ASOP 4, and practical discussions of issues raised in other sessions.

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The closing session features an address by the CCA President and President-Elect, and the passing of the gavel. The CCA Emerging Leaders Community Forum concludes this year’s Annual Meeting with a presentation on accountability by Brent Walder.

For ourselves, we have it nailed. We have an inherently high sense of personal accountability, and we expect the same from others. But what happens as demands and expectations accelerate beyond capacity? Do we look forward to holding our peers, teams, or bosses accountable, or being held accountable by someone else? What thoughts and feelings are generated? Do we feel inspired and uplifted by how someone else can help us become more accountable to change and deliver? Do others feel inspired as they think about being held accountable?

During our Emerging Leaders Community Forum, Brent Walder, a former chief actuary at Prudential Financial, explores our current framing and perceptions around accountability and holding others accountable, and how it helps or hurts sustained high performance. We will then reconceive accountability into an empowering enabler of change and results, and learn how to unleash the power of positive, uplifting mutual accountability to elevate and sustain personal and team performance.

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