Critical Point
Milliman, Inc.
Objectivity matters. Today, more than ever. With no agenda, other than getting it right, Milliman’s Critical Point podcast takes a deep dive into subject matter that affects the health and well-being of people across the globe, from healthcare to retirement security, flood insurance to autonomous vehicles. Through a team of professionals ranging from actuaries to clinicians, technology specialists to economists, Critical Point examines the inherent challenges – and innovative solutions – that Milliman consultants encounter through their daily work around healthcare, employee benefits, risk management, technology, investment consulting, insurance, and financial services.
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Top 10 Critical Point Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Critical Point episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Critical Point for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Critical Point episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
04/19/21 • 19 min
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.
05/23/23 • 23 min
When the SECURE 2.0 Act passed in late 2022, it introduced 92 provisions affecting retirement plans—and created a long to-do list for plan professionals. In this episode of Critical Point, Milliman employee benefits expert Nina Lantz talks with Brandy Cross, our director of defined contribution (DC) plan compliance, about how DC plans are coping.
Learn which provisions plan sponsors are addressing first, and why it’s OK to wait before making plan changes. Plus, don’t miss Nina’s companion episode on SECURE 2.0’s impact on defined benefit plans.
You can read the episode transcript on our website .
What the CARES Act means for retirement plans
Critical Point
05/11/20 • 25 min
The CARES Act – which stands for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act – has sweeping implications for both defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) retirement plans in the U.S. From distribution and loan relief for qualified individuals on the DC side, to deferral and election options for single-employer plans on the DB side, the CARES Act is intended to provide fast and direct economic assistance for workers and plan sponsors across the country. On this episode of Critical Point, Charles Clark, Milliman’s Employee Benefits Research Director, and Ginny Boggs, Senior Regulatory Compliance Consultant at Milliman, discuss the ins and outs of the CARES Act and what it means for retirement plans.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.
Inclusivity in employee benefits: Diversity, equity, and inclusion concerns in plan design and communication
Critical Point
06/16/23 • 23 min
As companies embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, many are realizing their benefit policies and communications can help address health inequities and be more inclusive. From modernizing the language in plan documents, to simplifying fertility care for same-sex couples, to not showing a skinny marathoner in the ads for your fitness challenge, Milliman’s Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer joined health benefits experts to discuss how plan sponsors can help make sure all beneficiaries get the care they need.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.
Are corporate pension plans making a comeback?
Critical Point
03/11/24 • 19 min
For decades, companies with traditional pensions have been freezing those plans and replacing them with defined contribution options to help their employees save for retirement. But IBM made headlines when it restored its defined benefit program in early 2024. Three Milliman pension actuaries discuss this choice, new hybrid DB plan designs, and how plan sponsors can avoid the mistakes that led them to close their pension plans in the first place.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.
Growing the actuarial profession in the developing world: Where the UNDP-GAIN initiative stands after one year
Critical Point
12/05/23 • 41 min
Actuaries are vital to the insurance industry and national economies, but the profession is still emerging in many developing countries. That’s why Milliman and the United Nations Development Programme have launched a program to increase actuarial capacity around the world. In this episode, five Milliman volunteers reflect on the initiative’s first year and their work in 10 countries, from Nigeria to Nepal.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.
10/16/23 • 38 min
In our second Critical Point episode about AI applications in insurance, we drill down into the topic of machine learning and particularly its evolving uses in healthcare. Milliman Principal and Consulting Actuary Robert Eaton leads a conversation with fellow data science leaders about the models they use, the challenges of data accessibility and quality, and working with regulators to ensure fairness. They also pick sides in the great debate of Team Stochastic Parrot versus Team Sparks AGI.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.
Artificial intelligence and insurance, part 1: AI’s impact on the insurance value chain
Critical Point
09/25/23 • 34 min
Artificial intelligence has been the buzz term of 2023, evolving at a pace unimaginable when Milliman launched this podcast five years ago. For this 50th episode of Critical Point, we gathered a group of our AI experts to discuss how the technology is poised to reshape the insurance value chain, from hiring practices and actuarial modeling to customer service and communication.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.
08/21/23 • 25 min
Insurers are feeling the heat as another record-breaking summer finally cools off. In this episode of Critical Point, Milliman leaders Rich Moyer, Garrett Bradford, and Andi Shah—who have studied the impact of extreme heat from the Middle East to Europe to North Carolina—discussed the ramifications on property, workers’ compensation, health, and other types of insurance. They also talk about data, including available sources for measuring heat risk now, and the data they would like to see to help measure the future effects of a warming planet.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.
Surprises and obstacles SECURE 2.0 could present for plan sponsors and HR professionals
Critical Point
08/08/22 • 14 min
Learn how SECURE 2.0 could derail or reduce participant contributions, and what plan sponsors and HR professionals need to know about this potential regulation. In this episode of Critical Point, Milliman’s Jason Brantley sits down with Charles Clark and Karina Guerrero to talk about surprises in SECURE 2.0 and some of the details below the headlines. They’ll discuss the impact to required minimum distributions (RMDs), catchup contributions, and what this means for companies with non-full-time employees.
You can read the episode transcript on our website.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Critical Point have?
Critical Point currently has 59 episodes available.
What topics does Critical Point cover?
The podcast is about Retirement, Insurance, Podcast, Podcasts, Technology, Business, Financial Services and Healthcare.
What is the most popular episode on Critical Point?
The episode title 'Growing the actuarial profession in the developing world: Where the UNDP-GAIN initiative stands after one year' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Critical Point?
The average episode length on Critical Point is 26 minutes.
How often are episodes of Critical Point released?
Episodes of Critical Point are typically released every 35 days, 2 hours.
When was the first episode of Critical Point?
The first episode of Critical Point was released on Jun 11, 2018.
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