This topic appears if you have elected to study decrements or post-decrement probabilities. It can be entered when post-decrement probabilities apply to any benefits in the Plan Definition or the valuation assumptions being studied assume any decrements where the rates vary based on <rates by benefit>. An active member must decrement because of the appropriate contingency and meet the eligibility requirements for a benefit before decrement rates by benefit or post-decrement probabilities apply to determine the likelihood of receiving the benefit. The parameters of this topic tell ProVal how to determine actual experience to compare to assumed probabilities, i.e., whether such a new inactive actually receives the benefit.

To analyze decrement rates by benefit or post-decrement probabilities, specify which benefits are received by decrementing actives (a.k.a. new inactives) by clicking the name of the ProVal benefit from the list of Benefit Definitions (of the Plan Definition under study). An asterisk next to the name of a ProVal benefit indicates that the benefit is received by all eligible new inactives (with matching Ret/Trm/Dth/Dis status), that is, who have a status code indicating decrement because of this contingency.

To indicate that not all of the eligible new inactives whose decrement was due to the contingency initiating this benefit actually receive this benefit, select the ProVal benefit, uncheck the Received by all new Inactives (with matching Ret/Trm/Dth/Dis status) box, and Specify the coded field & code indicating receipt of this benefit. Eligible records with the specified Code in this database Field will be considered in receipt of this benefit; records with any other code in this field will not. For example, if you are studying “duty” versus “non-duty” disability and the coded field is named DISABILITY, with duty disablement coded as “Duty” and non-duty disablement coded as “Ordinary”, then the duty disability benefit is received only when the code in the field DISABILITY is “Duty”. Similarly, if you are studying election of dependent medical benefits and the coded field is named COVERAGE, with election of dependent coverage indicated by the code “Family” and election of no dependent coverage indicated by the code “Single”, then the benefit is received only when the code in the field COVERAGE is “Family”. In the case where <rates by benefit> are assumed and a single rate table applies to multiple benefits, the actual experience will be assumed as a decrement if any of the applicable benefits are in receipt.

Note that the list of fields from which to choose will be the list of all coded database fields in the current Project, which might not be the same list of fields in the Project specified under the Assumptions topic of this Experience Study.

The list of field codes will be just the character labels in the data dictionary for the codes of the selected field. Only one code can indicate receipt of the benefit. If two or more codes in your database indicate receipt, then create a new coded database field to specify receipt of this particular benefit and assign a unique code for receipt. For each record, you may determine the code value of this new field by means of a database expression.