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CMS Updates Data Snapshot Showing COVID’s Impact on Beneficiaries

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently released an updated data snapshot detailing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Medicare beneficiaries. Among the findings:

  • Medicare fee-for-service spending associated with COVID hospitalizations rose to $10.3 billion.
  • The rate of cases in rural areas (4,271 per 100,000) outpaced those in urban areas (4,151 per 100,000) for the first time.
  • The pandemic continues to hit certain populations harder than others, including American Indian/Alaska Native beneficiaries (2,393 per 100,000), African-American beneficiaries (1,937 per 100,000), and Hispanic beneficiaries (1,617 per 100,000).

“Although the snapshot data suggests COVID-19 continues to impact certain populations disproportionately, it also points to the importance of COVID-19 vaccines and other opportunities for prevention and treatment in disadvantaged groups.”

The snapshot includes data for services provided from January 1, 2020, to December 26, 2020.

More information can be found here:

The pandemic continues to hit certain populations harder than others, including American Indian/Alaska Native beneficiaries, African-American beneficiaries, and Hispanic beneficiaries.

Work With Us, Work for Us

Econometrica specializes in research and management across numerous industries in both the public and private sectors. We are always looking to hire the best and brightest in data science, health, grants management, energy, homeland security, housing and community development, capital markets and finance, and transportation. We work as the lead service provider, and also as a capable outsource partner to other consultancies. To work with us on your next project, visit us online and email a member of our executive staff in your preferred specialty. To explore the benefits of working for us, visit our careers page.

HUD Releases Statement on the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge recently said that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has no near-term plans to change the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (MMIF).

Noting that the MMIF “has remained resilient” throughout 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, Secretary Fudge noted that the “FHA portfolio has experienced increased levels of seriously delinquent loans and a heightened level of loans in forbearance.”

In February, FHA extended foreclosure and eviction moratoria through June 30, 2021, and allowed longer forbearance for borrowers whose plans were expiring. HUD also has begun providing resources included in the American Rescue Plan to provide relief to homeowners.

“We continue to monitor mortgage performance trends within our portfolio, particularly related to those homeowners who are struggling financially because of the pandemic.”

The full statement can be found here:

HUD also has begun providing resources included in the American Rescue Plan to provide relief to homeowners.

Work With Us, Work for Us

Econometrica specializes in research and management across numerous industries in both the public and private sectors. We are always looking to hire the best and brightest in data science, health, grants management, energy, homeland security, housing and community development, capital markets and finance, and transportation. We work as the lead service provider, and also as a capable outsource partner to other consultancies. To work with us on your next project, visit us online and email a member of our executive staff in your preferred specialty. To explore the benefits of working for us, visit our careers page.

Econometrica Partners With Indiana University to Examine the Impact of Changes in the Automotive Industry

Econometrica Partners With Indiana University to Examine the Impact of Changes in the Automotive Industry

Virtual Meeting 2BETHESDA, MD – Indiana University selected Econometrica to design and conduct focus groups to better understand how individuals and communities in the Midwest’s Industrial Heartland are being impacted by the automotive industry’s transition from gas to electric automobiles.

The focus groups are part of the Industrial Heartland Project, a subset of the Roosevelt Project, which aims to establish a path toward a low-carbon U.S. economy that is the least disruptive or punitive for workers and communities. The Industrial Heartland Project goals are to better understand the impact of the change in automotive manufacturing has had on communities and the ways that communities are adapting. The final outcome of the project is a set of recommendations for how to improve the impacts of the transition for individuals and communities, especially those who are at greatest risk to be harmed by the transition.

Econometrica will support Indiana University and the Industrial Heartland Project by providing expertise in qualitative research. Members of Econometrica’s Health Group will recruit for and conduct up to 30 focus groups with automotive workers, plant executives, and community leaders in 6 cities across Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio, where automotive manufacturing is a large portion of the economy. The focus groups will give participants a voice on the positive and negative impacts of past transitions and perceived future transitions.

“The energy transition is an important aspect of the current and future U.S. economy. Econometrica is grateful to conduct research that will lead to strategies to improve the impacts of the transition,” Econometrica President/CEO Cyrus Baghelai said.

Econometrica has previously developed and conducted qualitative and mixed-methods evaluations for numerous public and private-sector clients, such as The Brookings Institution, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Association of County and City Health Officials, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

About Econometrica

Founded in 1998, Econometrica is a research and management organization in Bethesda, MD, established to provide public- and private-sector clients with customized program support services. Econometrica works with multiple agencies to provide high-quality, cost-effective analyses, modeling, and economic evaluations. The company consistently receives exceptional scores from its clients and believes in three principles: technical capabilities, happy customers, and business development.

Econometrica will support Indiana University and the Industrial Heartland Project by providing expertise in qualitative research.

Econometrica to Develop E-Learning Courses Aimed at Global Tobacco Control Topics

Econometrica to Develop E-Learning Courses Aimed at Global Tobacco Control Topics

TabaccoUseBETHESDA, MD – The CDC Foundation awarded Econometrica a contract to create e-learning courses focused around a variety of global tobacco control topics. This new partnership will strengthen country-level capacity in using data to inform policies on global tobacco prevention and control.

The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) critical health protection mission. The new courses will build on the CDC Foundation’s 13 years of work in global tobacco and nicotine surveillance and monitoring. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco use is the leading cause of death, illness, and impoverishment and kills more than 8 million people annually worldwide.

“This is a great opportunity for Econometrica to work with the CDC Foundation on this important international effort to curb tobacco use,” Econometrica President/CEO Cyrus Baghelai said. “We are excited to have our ever-expanding Learning Solutions Team help reduce the number of people and the severity of impact for this worldwide challenge through our analytics, solutions design, quality service and attention to detail.”

“We look forward to working with Econometrica, drawing on their technical and subject matter expertise, instructional design experience, and creative thinking as we collaborate to produce meaningful and interactive adult learning experiences to drive evidence-based tobacco control policies and programs,” said Rachna Chandora, the CDC Foundation’s Associate Vice President for Noninfectious Disease Programs.

Econometrica’s Learning Solutions Team, part of the Health Group, implements a flexible approach to developing learning solutions based on audience size and geographic distribution as well as training objectives and content. The team works to maximize the benefit of investments in training by ensuring that content is deployed in the most effective modality and can achieve the maximum usage possible.

Econometrica has previously created trainings, factsheets, and toolkits for various Federal agencies, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CDC, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

About the CDC Foundation

The CDC Foundation is an independent nonprofit and sole entity created by Congress to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) critical health protection work. The CDC Foundation forges effective partnerships between CDC and corporations, foundations, organizations, and individuals to fight threats to health and safety. Learn more at www.cdcfoundation.org.

About Econometrica

Founded in 1998, Econometrica is a research and management organization in Bethesda, MD, established to provide public- and private-sector clients with customized program support services. Econometrica works with multiple agencies to provide high-quality, cost-effective analyses, modeling, and economic evaluations. The company consistently receives exceptional scores from its clients and believes in three principles: technical capabilities, happy customers, and business development.

Econometrica has previously created trainings, factsheets, and toolkits for various Federal agencies, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CDC, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Clinical Practice Team Adds to Econometrica’s Capabilities

Clinical Practice Team Adds to Econometrica’s Capabilities

is 163752676 Nurse Patient PaperworkEconometrica has formed a dedicated Clinical Practice Team consisting of healthcare professionals from a variety of healthcare disciplines. The addition of this team augments the technical capabilities of Econometrica’s Health Group to provide expertise in training, information diffusion, health research, quality measure development, monitoring, evaluation, technical assistance, and data analytics.

The team will be led by Dr. Kristie McNealy and includes a geriatric nurse practitioner and two registered nurses with clinical experience spanning primary care, acute care, hospice, home health, and rehabilitation settings.

The Clinical Practice Team provides clinical and health operations insights to a range of Econometrica’s projects, including supporting the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in selecting clinically relevant quality measures for the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced model and developing training content around patient assessment and coding for nurses and quality staff working in post-acute care settings. Team members also provide valuable perspective on the challenges providers face in delivering and coordinating care in different settings and the barriers beneficiaries experience attempting to access the care they need.

“The Clinical Practice Team will continue to support our various healthcare projects as well as allow Econometrica to support new projects in the areas of medical records abstraction, electronic health records, and clinical consultation,” President/CEO Cyrus Baghelai said. “We look forward to offering our clients and partners these expanded services.”

With healthcare and related industry trends constantly evolving, Econometrica’s experts use a variety of research and evaluation methods to provide innovative approaches for each client. In recent years, our Health Group, has developed tailored technical assistance plans for CMS, including working with States in accessing and using CMS data sources under the State Data Resource Center contract; has had more than 250,000 provider impacts based on trainings focused on understanding and complying with the IMPACT Act on the Post-Acute Care Training contracts; and has had 3 quality measures endorsed by the National Quality Forum under our Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly contract.

About Econometrica

Founded in 1998, Econometrica is a research and management organization in Bethesda, MD, established to provide public- and private-sector clients with customized program support services. Econometrica works with multiple agencies to provide high-quality, cost-effective analyses, modeling, and economic evaluations. The company consistently receives exceptional scores from its clients and believes in three principles: technical capabilities, happy customers, and business development.

With healthcare and related industry trends constantly evolving, Econometrica’s experts use a variety of research and evaluation methods to provide innovative approaches for each client.