Sam Smetek
FSA, MAAA
Senior Actuarial Manager
Brookfield, WI, US
Sam Smetek is a senior actuarial manager for the Milwaukee office of Milliman. He joined the firm in 2019.
Experience
Sam has worked primarily in the Medicare Advantage and Long‑Term Care (LTC) insurance markets since joining Milliman’s Healthcare Practice in 2019. He has assisted clients in the pricing and strategy of Medicare Advantage bid preparation, reserve estimation for medical and LTC products, and prepared year-end statements of actuarial opinion. Recently, Sam has helped analyze various alternative financing options of LTC in various states.
Professional Designations
- Fellow, Society of Actuaries
- Member, American Academy of Actuaries
Education
- BBA, Actuarial Science and Finance (double major) University of Wisconsin, Madison
Publications
Read their latest work
Article
Value of Medicare Advantage to the federal government, 2025
09 January 2026 - by Ali M. Heinrich, Sam Smetek
Our study of Medicare Advantage (MA) value shows government payments to MA plans in 2025 to be about 91% of costs for traditional Medicare.
Article
The long-term care insurance industry through 2024: Summary statistics and observations from the Experience Reporting Forms
31 December 2025 - by Sam Smetek, Annie Gunnlaugsson, Christopher J. Giese, Quentin Clemens
Average LTC insurance premiums increased steadily over the last decade, but incurred claims rose at a faster rate, according to our analysis.
Article
Value of Medicare Advantage to the federal government
29 April 2024 - by Ali M. Heinrich, Sam Smetek, Brett L. Swanson
Care and cost management strategies allow Medicare Advantage plans to offer the same coverage as Medicare fee-for-service, but at lower costs.
Article
2023 urban and rural differences in Medicare Advantage: Current landscape and plan considerations
20 April 2023 - by Ali M. Heinrich, Sam Smetek, Julia M. Friedman
Medicare Advantage organizations (MAOs) considering expansion in rural areas with low penetration must consider costs and risks vs. revenue and growth potential.
Article
Considerations for plan segmentation in Medicare Advantage bids
28 February 2023 - by Julia M. Friedman, Sam Smetek
What are the advantages of adding a segmented plan to a Medicare Advantage organization portfolio and what are the bid requirements for segmented plans?