The Society of Actuaries has put up a five-figure paywall for access to new reports on COVID mortality that in the past have revealed shocking rates of above-normal, or “excess,” deaths. In a post on its website, the SOA—a national source of risk data for life insurers—said it will charge $10,000 for four updates of post-pandemic deaths through next February. “This new series of group life mortality quarterly reports and data are only available for purchase,” SOA communications manager, Michael Nowak, confirmed in an email. Previous reports—which showed young workers dying at far higher excess rates than senior citizens—are still available on the SOA website, he said, and new, less technical ones will be released to the public at an unspecified time. Some industry watchers suggested the non-profit society, whose members pay dues, may be trying to develop a new business model. But it also may be attempting to extract itself from the contentious and politically charged issue of excess deaths and, moreover, what is causing them.
