This is an important and wide-ranging topic. Two of the more obvious aspects are the ads in the different
media and the news reports of pandemics. The effects of the drug company campaigns are well-known,
but how do they compare with advertising for more invasive procedures such as gastric bypass? This
issue is at the heart of actuarial work, and it gives actuaries an opportunity to broaden their skills and
visibility in the clinical area.
The main goal of this session is to raise awareness of this issue; as a result, actuaries should consider
how to measure the effects of advertising, how problems with non-covered procedures affect costs, and
how this affects providers. Employers and clients would want their actuaries to attend this session in
order to be able to analyze and quantify the risk associated with advertising.