Recent Commentary

Q&A with Nora Paxton: How FPAR 2.0 is advancing the modernization of public health data

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:08:00 Z

Nora Paxton explains how FPAR 2.0 is helping HHS strengthen oversight, improve data quality, and reduce reporting burden through encounter-level data, automation, and a secure, cloud-based platform that supports timely insights and continual program improvement.

Trusting your LLM: AI’s handling of complex statistical data

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:31:01 Z

Large language models (LLMs) are rapidly being integrated into analytic workflows across government, health, education, and workforce systems.

Creating pathways to employment for young adults with autism

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:12:48 Z

Mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can create barriers to learning, independence, and employment for young adults on the autism spectrum, making it harder to find and keep the right job.

From hidden gaps to fairer payments

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:51:22 Z

Price transparency data give medical societies and physician practices new tools to measure, understand, and address payment inequities across payers and markets.

Modernizing evidence reviews to drive faster, smarter decisions

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:47:22 Z

Mathematica is modernizing evidence reviews with AI tools that speed up and strengthen decision-making. Our AI-assisted reviewer enhances accuracy, efficiency, and timeliness—helping policymakers access reliable insights when they need them most.

Balancing innovation and evidence in the use of AI chatbots for behavioral health

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 Z

People are turning to AI chatbots for behavioral health support. But the rapid adoption of AI-powered tools outpaces research on their safe use. This blog explores how state leaders can use evidence to drive safe and responsible use of chatbots in behavioral health without curbing innovation.

Why Governance Is the Hidden Accelerator of Data Modernization

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 18:58:30 Z

Explore how strong data governance—often overlooked in modernization efforts—can accelerate progress by building trust, reducing risk, and enabling secure, scalable collaboration across systems and sectors.

When Health Challenges Threaten Work, States Explore Solutions

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 16:34:53 Z

Millions of workers leave jobs due to health issues each year. Mathematica partners with states to test evidence-driven solutions that keep people connected to work through early support, coordinated care, and data-driven strategies.

Better Policies and Programs Start with Better Data Collection Systems

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 00:00:00 Z

Mathematica’s recent experience supporting Medicaid Section 1115 demonstrations illustrates how investing in a more effective data collection system can help organizations produce reliable, practical insights to drive better policy and program design.

Turning Data into Solutions for Reducing Healthcare Cost Growth in States

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:22:00 Z

Jim Lloyd of the New Jersey Department of Health, Rachel Block of the Milbank Memorial Fund, and Julie Sonier of Mathematica join Mathematica’s On the Evidence podcast to discuss why rising healthcare costs present a complex and urgent issue, how states are responding, and the role of data in supporting solutions.

Maximizing State Directed Payments to Improve Medicaid Managed Care

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:00:00 Z

Improving the transparency, integrity, and effectiveness of state directed payments in Medicaid managed care doesn’t require overhauling systems—it calls for using familiar tools more strategically.

Smarter Policy Starts with State Data

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 19:52:00 Z

States need connected, modern data systems to respond to challenges and inform decisions. Mathematica helps states improve data infrastructure across sectors—public health, education, workforce, and justice—to support evidence-based policy and better outcomes.

Better Data Will Pave the Path for AI-Powered Healthcare

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 00:00:00 Z

Solving healthcare’s data challenges is key to unlocking the full potential of AI. This blog explores how stronger data governance, better data, and emerging technologies can pave the way for safer, smarter AI adoption across the healthcare ecosystem.

Building Career Readiness: How Students Benefit from Goal Setting, E-Portfolios, and Career Exploration

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:00:00 Z

Schools are using Individual Plans of Study, including goal setting, e-portfolios, and career exploration to boost student engagement and readiness for college and careers.

Bridging the Real-World Evidence Gap in Maternal-Child Health with Linked Medicaid Data

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 15:50:00 Z

Learn how linked mother-child Medicaid data enable real-world evidence on in-utero exposures, maternal and child outcomes, and more.

Increasing the Resilience of African Smallholder Farmers

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 14:40:00 Z

On this episode of Mathematica’s On the Evidence podcast, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, the former president of AGRA, discusses the need for innovative, data-driven approaches to improve agriculture across the continent.

Know More, Risk Less: Unlocking the Potential of Predictive Modeling for ACOs

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 18:16:00 Z

Learn how predictive modeling helps ACOs understand what’s coming—financially and operationally—so they manage resources and stay ahead of risk.

The Power of Apprenticeships in a Changing Labor Market

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 15:40:00 Z

Apprenticeships are evolving beyond traditional trades, opening career pathways in healthcare, IT, and education. To scale effectively, states must improve data integration, employer reporting, and collaboration—ensuring apprenticeships meet workforce demands.

From Mandate to Market: Executing Hospital Price Transparency with Impact

Tue, 06 May 2025 12:22:00 Z

The executive order on price transparency gives the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 90 days to implement new requirements for price transparency. In this blog, we discuss actions that CMS can take to make hospital price data more accurate and consumer friendly.

Saving Taxpayer Dollars by Enhancing Medicare Prepayment Reviews

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 21:28:00 Z

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services can use analytics and artificial intelligence to build on its past success with prepayment review programs, creating an opportunity to realize substantial savings and reduce improper payments in the Medicare fee-for-service program.

Bridging the Training Gap for Adults Without College Degrees

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 00:00:00 Z

Mathematica's evaluation of the first two years of the Great Jobs KC job training program shows promising early results.

A New Era of Price Transparency

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 20:19:00 Z

Renewed price transparency efforts could boost the efficacy of the price transparency and improve consumer choice.

The Economic Benefits of Employee Ownership

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 15:48:40 Z

At a time when American institutions—from government to business—are placing a premium on efficiency and effectiveness, employee ownership offers a path to both.

Realizing the Full Potential of Extrapolation Audits to Address Improper Payments in the Medicare Fee-for-Service Program

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 19:24:56 Z

Efforts to curb waste, fraud, and abuse in the traditional Medicare program should expand the use of extrapolation audits as a cost avoidance and recovery strategy.

Tackling Chronic Disease: The Key to Cost-Effective Care

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 17:55:18 Z

Tackling chronic diseases is complex and difficult—but not insurmountable. Mathematica delivers solutions that optimize chronic disease prevention and management programs and policies to ensure efficiency, cost savings, and measurable impact.

How a Fintech Company Helps Workers in Africa Access Credit and Savings with Smartphones

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 14:18:00 Z

On this episode of Mathematica’s On the Evidence podcast, M-KOPA Chief Executive Officer Jesse Moore talks about increasing access to financial and digital services for workers in Africa who lack access to bank accounts.

Critical Public Services Require Efficient, Effective, Evidence-Based Approaches

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 20:46:45 Z

Learn how Mathematica helps government agencies balance efficiency and effectiveness in public spending.

Modernizing State Public Health Data Policies and Practices

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 15:11:00 Z

The latest episode of Mathematica’s On the Evidence podcast features a discussion about a new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts about state public health data policies and practices.

Advancing and Enhancing Evidence-Based Policymaking

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 13:17:05 Z

Discover insights from APPAM’s 2024 conference, where Mathematica CEO Paul Decker led a lively policy roundtable. Experts delved into the GAO’s report on evidence-based policymaking, exploring the 2018 Evidence Act's impact, highlighting the successes and hurdles faced by federal agencies.

States Can Learn From Each Other to Drive Progress in Medicaid School-Based Services

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:13:00 Z

As states navigate policy hurdles, implement new services, and refine their existing school-based services programs, they can find a way to effectively deliver Medicaid school-based services and promote positive outcomes for students across the country – it’s just a matter of finding the right path.

Four Questions to Help Determine if Program Integrity Initiatives Are Working

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:00:00 Z

The most successful approaches to evaluating and improving program integrity initiatives start with stepping back from day-to-day, mission-critical operations to answer four basic questions.

How Price Transparency Data Can Fuel Growth for Physician Practices

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 13:35:00 Z

Most physician practices don’t use healthcare price transparency data — but they should. Learn how it can fuel practice growth and how to take the first step.

How Technology Can Bridge Gaps in Data Linkage

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:00:00 Z

Following the 2024 International Population Data Linkage Conference, Mathematica’s team convened experts from government, academia, and the private sector in our downtown Chicago office to dive deeper into important themes. This conversation focused on how technology can help address data linkage challenges.

Strategies to Expand School-Based Mental Health Services and Support Student Well-being

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 21:55:00 Z

Addressing the rising mental health needs of students can seem daunting. But state and local agencies can build on lessons from others as they find sustainable ways to deliver effective behavioral health services in schools.

Supporting Workers and Strengthening Communities Through Employee Ownership

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 Z

In honor of Employee Ownership Month in October, Mathematica’s On the Evidence podcast features a special episode with Mathematica’s Paul Decker and The ESOP Association’s Jim Bonham discussing the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) as an evidence-based tool that benefits employees, consumers, and communities across the nation.

Using Population Data to Build Evidence

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 18:43:00 Z

Following the International Population Data Linkage Conference in Chicago, Mathematica hosted a breakfast, convening experts from government and industry to discuss improve data linkages across the globe. Our first panel discussed population data in evidence building as a tool for policymaking.

South Dakota's First Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway Graduate Honored at the Capitol

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 Z

Kandy Flowers is now a preschool and junior kindergarten teacher in the same school district where she was once a paraprofessional. Learn how the South Dakota Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway helps paraprofessionals earn a bachelor’s degree online while continuing to work in schools.

Beyond the Scoreboard: Accountability for Processes Can Help Schools Make the Right Play

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:55:04 Z

Brian Gill draws parallels between data analytics in sports and education. Though identifying “the right play” in education is much harder than in basketball, education agencies can use school climate surveys, inspections, and administrative data to identify well-coached schools and effective classrooms.

How Health Data Interoperability Can Improve Patient Care

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 18:35:00 Z

This episode of Mathematica’s On the Evidence podcast features a discussion about strategies and tools for achieving greater data interoperability.

A Four-Step Approach to Engage Adult Learners

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 00:00:00 Z

This post from REL Mid-Atlantic introduces the 4A Learning Sequence—an easy method for engaging adult learners in any context.

Making Theories of Change as Easy as ABC

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 20:22:00 Z

This post introduces the Actor-Based Change (ABC) Framework, an approach theory of change development for complex settings. It emphasizes the importance of understanding people and their behaviors to create more effective and responsive aid programming.

Time to Ramp Up Collection and Analysis of Medicare Data for Dually Eligible Individuals Using Home and Community-Based Services

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 15:59:05 Z

The managed care rule requires states to collect and analyze Medicare data for dually eligible individuals. States have a long road ahead in building their data and analytic capacity and the challenge of capturing data on dually eligible HCBS users is even more nuanced.

For Primary Care Practitioners, a Move to Value-Based Payment Is Easier Said than Done

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 13:08:09 Z

Solutions for increasing primary care provider’s participation in value-based payment models need to address two main challenges according to providers and primary care management experts—underfunding and over-measurement.

Create Your Medicaid Access Rule Data Roadmap

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 18:47:00 Z

The new Medicaid Access requires states to use and integrate a broad array of data sources related to home and-community based services. We describe these data sources and how agencies can begin preparing for the journey to Access Rule compliance.

Event Takeaways: Using Data Governance to Improve Health Outcomes

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 18:19:00 Z

You cannot have good analytics or artificial intelligence (AI) without good data, and you can’t have good data without good data governance.

How Mathematical Discourse Can Help Students Succeed

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 Z

To ease the middle-to-high school math transition, Denver Public Schools and REL Central are exploring the quality of mathematical discourse that students are exposed to and ways to support student success.

Data Governance Is Critical to Getting AI Right

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 00:00:00 Z

Based on what I’ve seen organizations get right (and wrong) along their data governance journeys, here are some key themes to get started.

Successfully Improving Medicaid Programs Requires Will, Ideas, and Execution

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:27:00 Z

A three-part framework for successful quality improvement can help state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program staff succeed in improving health services and outcomes for beneficiaries.

It's Spring-Cleaning Time for State Medicaid Data on Home and Community-Based Services

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 18:51:00 Z

New HCBS reporting requirements draw on individual enrollment and service utilization data for Medicaid beneficiaries in these programs. Now is the time for states to ensure their MMIS and T-MSIS data are valid and usable before required reporting begins.

Improving Health Through Responsible Use of AI

Wed, 22 May 2024 18:48:00 Z

This episode of Mathematica’s On the Evidence podcast features Mathematica’s Noland Joiner and Ngan MacDonald and Luminos.Law’s Ellie Graeden in a discussion on the responsible use of artificial intelligence to improve patient health.