Christopher Kunkel
FSA, MAAA, PhD
Principal and Consulting Actuary
Seattle, WA, US
Chris Kunkel is a principal and consulting actuary with the Seattle office of Milliman. He joined the firm in 2009.
Experience
Chris’s experience covers a variety of healthcare programs. His primary areas of focus have been Medicare, Medicaid, and other government programs.
He has worked on many projects, including developing capitation rates for Medicare and Medicaid programs, conducting savings analyses for managed care programs, performing morbidity studies, and conducting analyses of current and upcoming accountable care organizations.
His areas of interest include
- Feasibility studies for new programs or products
- New Medicare Advantage plans, including general enrollment and special needs plans
- Value-based insurance design
- Rate setting for Medicare Advantage products
- General enrollment and special needs plans
- New benefits for existing plans
- Morbidity analyses for special populations
- Specific disease states such as kidney disease, including end stage kidney disease
- Dual-eligible and/or low income Medicare beneficiaries
- Veteran populations
- Chargemaster development
Professional Designations
- Fellow, Society of Actuaries
- Member, American Academy of Actuaries
Education
- BS, Applied Mathematics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- PhD, Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle
Publications
Read their latest work
Article
Analysis of Together Senior Health’s RADAR algorithm to predict risk of undiagnosed dementia using claims data
11 November 2024 - by Spencer Marshall, Brian Hartman, Christopher Kunkel, June Chu
We share five key findings from our evaluation of models for predicting an individual’s risk undiagnosed dementia.
Article
A two-part model of the individual costs of chronic kidney disease
16 December 2021 - by Brian Hartman, Courtney Larson, Christopher Kunkel, Cason Wight, Richard L. Warr
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affects many lives and has a large impact on health systems around the world.
Article
Changing how Medicare and Medicaid talk to each other
18 March 2020 - by Nicholas Johnson, Christopher Kunkel, Annie P Hallum
With calendar year 2021 Medicare Advantage (MA) deadlines approaching, state Medicaid agencies and MA plans offering Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans must quickly determine how to fulfill new integration requirements mandated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.
Article
How do benefit changes drive Medicare Advantage enrollment?
08 January 2020 - by Christopher Kunkel, Jordan Pettibon
Which options do Medicare Advantage enrollees look at most when choosing a plan?
Article
Bonus or penalty? Medicare provider payments are now adjusted based on quality metrics
16 September 2019 - by Mike Hamachek, Christopher Kunkel
What happened in the first year of Merit-Based Incentive Payment System reporting?
Article
Medicaid’s winding path through Institutions of Mental Disease
19 December 2018 - by Christopher Kunkel, Catherine E Lewis
The Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act provides a simpler way for states to include Institutions of Mental Disease facilities in their fee-for-service and managed care delivery models—a state plan amendment.
Article
A risky prescription: Part D risk sharing arrangements
04 January 2018 - by Adam Barnhart, Lynn F. Dong, Nicholas Johnson, Christopher Kunkel
A discussion of some of the most important considerations for Medicare Advantage risk-sharing arrangements that include Part D coverage.
Article
MACRA and Medicare Advantage plans: Synergies and potential opportunities
21 February 2017 - by Drew Osborne, Christopher Kunkel, Lynn F. Dong, Michael J. Polakowski, Noah Champagne, Charlie Mills
While MACRA primarily affects Part B clinicians, there are numerous implications, synergies, and opportunities for Medicare Advantage plans.
Article
Early thoughts on Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) Track 1+
08 November 2016 - by Colleen Norris, Charlie Mills, Christopher Kunkel, Noah Champagne
CMS Final Rules for MACRA give glimpse of MSSP Track 1+ details.
Article
Challenges and opportunities with obtaining Qualifying APM Participant status
18 August 2016 - by Christopher Kunkel, Charlie Mills, Pamela M. Pelizzari
This paper explores both the challenges and the opportunities associated with participating in an Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM) and obtaining Qualifying APM Participants status, helping providers understand not only why this status may be desirable, but also what risks they might encounter along the way.