John Ragan - Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

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I basically act as a consultant to all major departments within our company of 12,000 employees, providing data analysis as needed for their specific area. The projects I work on relate to, but are not limited to, rating and underwriting, provider contracting, sales and marketing, product development, financial reporting and regulatory filings. These projects are very technical in nature and would be too involved to list specifics.

The best aspect of my work is that I see the entire healthcare arena as it relates to consumers, providers, employers, competitors, MIS systems persons, legal counsel and sales. I get to meet and interact with all levels and types of employees, customers or providers.

To be an Actuary you must be dedicated, hard working, patient, enjoy interacting with people, not afraid to defend your calculations, always be able to defend your calculations, be honest and admit when you made a mistake. You must love working with numbers and be able to approach issues from multiple angles, sometimes with tight time constraints.