Blogs

Blogs

Tag: state government

Analytics | Artificial Intelligence

Dan ChildersJune 3, 2024 0

Time for government agencies to embed data and AI into environmental compliance

Government employees charged with monitoring environmental compliance face a downpour of information, wading through countless reports and stacks of paperwork to accomplish their mission. To help these dedicated public servants increase productivity, agencies should consider a broader set of tools to control pollution, enforce regulations and improve compliance. Although foundational

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Analytics | Fraud & Security Intelligence

Carl HammersburgApril 24, 2020 0

How analytics is helping state governments head off unemployment claims fraud

If you’re in state government, you're well aware of the unprecedented challenges that come with off-the-charts unemployment numbers due to COVID-19. Crashing websites at state unemployment insurance offices and multi-hour phone hold times for the millions of people who've lost their income due to the pandemic are only the most

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Analytics | Data Management | Fraud & Security Intelligence

David KennedyMarch 7, 2018 0

Criminal justice data system speeds prosecutions, helps put offenders away

Much has been written about the value that North Carolina’s Criminal Justice Law Enforcement Automated Data Services (CJLEADS) system has brought the state’s court personnel and law enforcement officers. CJLEADS integrates dozens of NC criminal justice and law enforcement data sets, a vast improvement over the state’s legacy processes. Law

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Analytics | Data Management | Fraud & Security Intelligence

David KennedyDecember 5, 2017 0

How law enforcement can use analytics to combat the opioid epidemic

A steady drumbeat of news coverage makes one thing clear: Opioid abuse is rising and has reached epidemic levels throughout our country. Overdoses from the diversion and abuse of prescription opioids are one cause of the surge in deaths. Overdoses from heroin and other illicit synthetic opioids (such as heroin,

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Analytics | Data for Good

Marie LowmanAugust 10, 2017 0

Battling the government budget crisis with analytics

The State of Illinois faces an unprecedented budget crisis, with more than $15 billion in unpaid bills. While experts will argue over the exact causes of states' financial struggles, many are pointing to the problem of state leaders avoiding long-term budgetary problems for short-term fixes. Illinois is not alone in

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Analytics | Data for Good | Fraud & Security Intelligence

Marie LowmanAugust 1, 2017 0

Where the federal government can find $450 billion

Did you pay your taxes? From stiff penalties to even jail time, the federal government provides plenty of incentive for citizens to pay, but each year nearly one in five Americans do not pay on time. This leads to a more than $450 billion gap in unpaid taxes, creating a

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Analytics | Data for Good

Marie LowmanJuly 25, 2017 0

SAS guidebook empowers government agencies to use analytics for good

Too much to do and not enough time to do it. That's a common refrain in government, but an important one because of the critical role government plays in the lives of so many. In a new book from SAS, A Practical Guide to Analytics for Governments: Using Big Data

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Analytics

Rodney CarsonDecember 2, 2016 0

Data integration can alleviate citizen frustrations with government

Data integration helps a successful business make things simple and quick for customers, and keeps them coming back. While a company will have data silos, data held within one area is made available to others in order to help the customer. In most local, county and state governments that is

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Analytics | Students & Educators

Katrina MillerNovember 22, 2016 0

Accountability and teacher preparation: How states have led the way

Teacher preparation programs have received some pretty harsh criticism in recent years. For example… “If there was any piece of legislation that I could pass it would be to blow up colleges of education.” –Reid Lyon, National Institute of Health “By almost any standard, many if not most of the

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Education | Government

Analytics | Fraud & Security Intelligence

John StultzNovember 14, 2016 0

What can agencies learn from massive Medicaid fraud busts?

On June 22nd, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the largest Medicaid fraud bust in history. The National Health Care Fraud Takedown included 301 defendants charged, $900 million in false billings, 61 medical professionals and 29 doctors, across 36 states. In another case, investigators in New York uncovered more than

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Government | Health Care

Analytics

Kay MeyerJuly 11, 2016 0

Measuring benefits of a state government center of analytics

The fourth and final post in the series about a state government center of analytics concentrates on the big question – what value does analytics bring to business? (Links to previous entries are at the conclusion of this post.) While this “show me the money” question can be answered in

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Analytics

Kay MeyerApril 18, 2016 0

State government center of analytics goes nowhere without user engagement

In this third post about a government center of analytics, the focus is on creating an environment that enables successful implementation, and perhaps even more importantly, successful adoption of new analytic solutions. (Check out "Hey, government of [insert state], where's your center of analytics?" and "4 keys to building a

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Analytics

Enterprise analytics success has 4 key requirements

Kay MeyerMarch 4, 2016 0

4 keys to building a state government enterprise analytics system

In my previous blog post I talked about how the rapid and varied growth of data calls for states to consider an enterprise analytics program, in the form of a Center of Analytics. This entry, first posted as an article on Government Executive's Route Fifty, gives the most important success

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Analytics

Kay MeyerDecember 11, 2015 0

Hey, government of [insert state], where's your Center of Analytics?

Imagine trying to make the right decision for a child in protective custody if your information was limited only to what was reported to your department about a single incident. Without additional information about the child’s home environment, health and education, criminal background of adults in the child’s life, and

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Analytics

Kay MeyerNovember 30, 2015 0

The intersection of open & internal government data

Government organizations are seeking new and innovative ways to use an abundance of data – both internally for government operations and externally to provide the public with greater access to information. This intersection of open and internal government data is the topic of a Route Fifty webinar taking place on

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Analytics | Fraud & Security Intelligence

Shaun BarryApril 13, 2015 0

Someone's trying to steal your tax refund... better call the math geeks!

Judging by the spike in media coverage of tax fraud, one might think accountants have suddenly been inspired by Breaking Bad re-runs, and turned en masse to lives of crime. Umm… no. But, there are two good reasons for all the attention. One reason is because of a new law

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Analytics | Fraud & Security Intelligence

Kay MeyerMarch 9, 2015 0

Better government data sharing reduces costs, improves services

For Parent’s Weekend this year, I needed to choose a restaurant for dinner in my son’s college town. Our extended family was attending the college football game and spending the weekend with our son. Before making my decision, I searched the internet for all the restaurants located within a reasonable

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Analytics | Fraud & Security Intelligence

Shaun BarryNovember 18, 2014 0

A prescription for fraud: The hidden connection between drug abuse and fraud

All of us are familiar with common fraud types. Insurance fraud, credit card fraud, identity theft, and tax evasion are among the most recognized areas. But, there are many other fraud types that have a big impact on our daily lives, yet receive little attention in the media and among

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Analytics | Fraud & Security Intelligence

Carl HammersburgDecember 2, 2013 0

Lost in translation: Interpreter business rife with fraud

Another day, another scam defrauding insurers and governments. For purposes of full disclosure, the case I'm highlighting today comes from Washington's Labor and Industries (L&I), the agency where I formerly worked and headed up fraud prevention efforts, and the investigation dates back to my time there. During my time there,

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Fraud & Security Intelligence

Carl HammersburgNovember 4, 2013 0

Happy International Fraud Awareness Week - Celebrate With $2 Trillion

Before that headline really scares you, let me clarify - there hasn't been a single fraud scheme that managed to pull off a $2 trillion haul (yet). However, the fact remains that as rising scams, schemes, the gray market, work under the table and good old tax evasion escalate, as

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Analytics

Melissa SavageMay 2, 2013 0

Data visualization can help state transportation leaders drive infrastructure improvements

In my last blog, I discussed the growing commitment among governors to infrastructure investment, and to coming up with innovative ways to find dollars to fund the needed improvements to the transportation network. I heard it over and over again during the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting in January

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Melissa SavageApril 3, 2013 0

State leaders must take the wheel of transportation infrastructure reform

A few weeks ago I found myself in a room full of fellow transportation geeks (a term I use with great respect) at the annual American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Washington Briefing. One panel in particular really got the room buzzing with talk about the transportation

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Fraud & Security Intelligence

Carl HammersburgMarch 20, 2013 0

Are Your Wages Killing You? Study Opens The Door For Workers Comp Fraud

Personally, I love studies. They help put things into context, and when done well, provide an independent and hopefully unbiased view of the forces that shape our lives. They are also a great way to see government funds used in strange ways. For example, the new NIOSH (National Institute for

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Analytics

Melissa SavageJanuary 25, 2013 0

Analytics fuels recommendations in new Department of Transportation innovation handbook

Analytics is a key piece in nearly all 31 recommendations outlined in The Innovative DOT: A Handbook of Policy and Practice. Crafted by the State Smart Transportation Initiative, in partnership with Smart Growth America, the handbook provides 31 recommendations for state transportation officials looking for ways to increase efficiencies and

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Analytics | Fraud & Security Intelligence

Carl HammersburgDecember 18, 2012 0

As fraud escalates, are we approaching the Financial 9/11?

Watching our nation approach the "fiscal cliff", and the dire predictions if we truly drive off it like the last scene in Thelma and Louise, has sharpened my view of the potential risks that huge gaps of fraud and abuse present to all of us. One of the key lessons

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Analytics | Fraud & Security Intelligence

Carl HammersburgDecember 3, 2012 0

Employee misclassification: Will the last employee please turn off the lights?

Independent contractor. Two very simple words that have a dramatic impact on businesses, workers, and government programs. While most people have a basic understanding of the term, they often have very little understanding of the laws governing it, which vary significantly program by program and state by state. This has

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Analytics | Fraud & Security Intelligence

Carl HammersburgOctober 19, 2012 0

Is real-time fraud detection possible in government programs?

The first step is to answer the question of what “real-time” actually means. Depending on the program and industry speed of response, I’ve heard answers that varied from milliseconds for the biggest banks in processing credit card charges to 24 hours for some government programs. A better description of what

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Analytics

Krisa TailorOctober 8, 2012 0

Analytics: The game changer in health reform

As SLG’s health policy specialist, I’m chartered with developing novel ways to apply data analytics to our state government health systems. If you ask me, it’s the perfect blend of technology and policy - two of my favorite things. However, I sometimes find it challenging to identify the areas within

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Analytics

Chuck EllstromSeptember 13, 2012 0

Are attacks on government pensions overblown?

Government pensions at the state and local government level have come under attack in recent years over their viability. Much of this attack has been political and is being used to go after unions and pensioners who tend to support one party or another. State and local governments work hard to maintain viable

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