Latest news with #ULL
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Louisiana will turn to AI to detect Medicaid fraud, health officials say
On his first day on the job Monday, Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein announced the launch of two initiatives – one to target Medicaid fraud and another to reduce the number of overdose deaths during pregnancy. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is developing an artificial intelligence and data analysis tool the Louisiana Department of Health will use to fight 'fraud, waste and abuse,' state officials said. The university is developing the technology that could be deployed within a week to begin looking for instances of fraud in the Medicaid program, ULL Vice President for Research Ramesh Kolluru said in an interview. 'We are committed to improving government efficiencies in Louisiana using innovation,' Kolluru said. 'Our first mission … is to improve efficiency and integrity of the Louisiana Medicaid program.' The state health department has created a 'Fighting Fraud, Waste and Abuse' task force to detect wrongdoing within Medicaid, Undersecretary Drew Maranto said. The agency will partner with LA DOGE, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry's version of Elon Musk's controversial Department of Government Efficiency. A Medicaid fraud control unit already exist The AI technology is being trained on national data and peer-reviewed publications that have identified fraud, and it will then be tasked with finding similar patterns in Louisiana's Medicaid data, Kolluru said. Staff within the Louisiana Department of Health will verify any findings, he added. Maranto said the department will also be working with the state Office of Motor Vehicles to check if any Medicaid recipients have active drivers licenses in other states, which could help them determine their eligibility to receive Medicaid benefits in Louisiana. ULL's work on the AI program will not cost the health department because it already contracts with the university for other computing projects, Kolluru said. ULL will also partner with the state Office of Technology Services to 'modernize Louisiana Medicaid systems,' Kolluru said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX In addition to detailing the counterfraud measures, Greenstein said the state has set a goal to reduce drug overdose deaths during pregnancy by 80% over the next three years. Overdose deaths have been the leading cause of maternal mortality in Louisiana since 2018, LDH Deputy Secretary Dr. Pete Croughan said. The new initiative, Project MOM (Maternal Overdose Mortality) will push to increase the availability of naloxone and buprenorphine, medications that can halt the effects of opioid overdoses when administered promptly. Other goals include more training health care providers on opioid use disorders and using money from settlements with opioid manufacturers to expand residential treatment facilities and outpatient clinics. According to publicly available data, there were 28 overdoses during pregnancy in 2020, the most recent year data in available. LDH is setting a goal to reduce overdose pregnancy deaths in the state by 80% over three years, reducing the death rate to five or six people annually. The department expects to appoint a Project MOM director within 90 days. Greenstein also announced the state would be moving away from having a single pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) for its Medicaid program. Such entities have been labeled as 'middlemen' that process prescription drug claims for the managed care organizations that provide Medicaid services, with critics saying they don't provide enough transparency to determine whether they provide any cost savings to patients. Since October 2021, Louisiana has worked with Magellan Medicaid Administration as its sole prescription benefit manager. On Monday, Maranto said the department would work closely with its managed care organizations who run the state's Medicaid program and pharmacies to 'ensure the best approach to managing these benefits.' The continued closures of chain and independent pharmacies threatens patient access to critical prescription drugs across Louisiana, Maranto added. The state's new approach will lean on the private contractors for Medicaid to handle prescription claims while also keeping drug prices in check. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lumen and Ciena Transmit Record-breaking 1.2 Tbps Wavelength Service Across 3,050 Kilometers
Network trial paves the way for hyperscalers and enterprises to have the bandwidth agility and cost-efficiency needed for AI and next-gen applications DENVER, March 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) and Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) have successfully established a 1.2 terabit wavelength service trial across 3,050 kilometers (more than 1,800 miles) on Lumen's Ultra-Low-Loss (ULL) fiber network, making it the world's longest 1.2 terabit non-regenerated signal. Using 800G interfaces, Lumen and Ciena successfully tested and qualified the services to support wavelength, Ethernet, and IP services over the 1.2 Tbps single carrier channel. The live network trial from Denver to Dallas used Ciena's latest WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) technology equipped in the Waveserver platform running over a 6500 photonic line system. "1.2 terabits per second isn't just about incredible speed and long distances, it's about the value of enabling the next wave of digital transformation. Lumen is at the forefront of building a next-generation network designed to handle the explosive growth of AI and cloud workloads," said Dave Ward, Lumen's chief technology and product officer. "Our investment in increased capacity, powered by Ciena's WaveLogic 6 technology, provides our hyperscale cloud partners and enterprises with the ultra-high-capacity connectivity needed to scale their AI and cloud applications. With 400G connectivity speeds today and a seamless upgrade path to 1.2 terabits, Lumen stands as the trusted network for AI." The trial also showcased the impressive performance and seamless interoperability between Ciena's Waveserver platform and the Juniper PTX10002-36QDD Packet Transport Router at 800 Gbps over the ultra-long-haul 1.2 Tbps intercity network. By leveraging the performance, flexibility and scalability of the Juniper PTX Series Routers, Lumen successfully established Ethernet and IP services with minimal latency and zero packet loss throughout the tests. Why it Matters AI, cloud and security demands are pushing data transmission speeds to new limits. For hyperscalers and enterprises, the jump to 1.2 Tbps wavelength services unlocks next-gen AI, cloud and data-intensive applications while improving scalability and network efficiency. "At Microsoft, the demand for ultra-high-speed, low-latency connectivity is growing exponentially as AI workloads, cloud applications, and real-time analytics scale," the company said. "Lumen and Ciena's successful wavelength trial showcases a forward-thinking approach to meeting these growing demands. By enabling more efficient data movement over vast distances, this solution helps us optimize cloud performance, enhance customer experiences, and support the rapid expansion of AI training and inferencing models across our global infrastructure." Ciena's WL6e is the industry's first high-bandwidth coherent transceiver using state-of-the-art 3nm silicon, capable of carrying capacity up to 1.6 terabits per second per wavelength. "As the pioneer in high-speed optical innovation, we are dedicated to helping our customers set new benchmarks in network performance and efficiency," said Brodie Gage, Ciena senior vice president, global products and supply chain. "This industry-first trial with Lumen marks a pivotal step in our efforts to prepare networks for the AI era. Lumen's network does not stand still. Continuous investment in the latest network technology is essential for keeping up with bandwidth demands today and into the future." Faster connections up to 1.2 Tbps wavelengths means less lag, more capacity and the flexibility to handle the most data-hungry applications across multiple industries: AI & Machine Learning Hyperscale Cloud & Data Center Interconnects Financial Trading and Market Data Transport Cybersecurity & AI-powered Threat Intelligence Media & Streaming The Lumen 400G-enabled network already spans over 78,000 route miles, and the company continues to invest in next-generation fiber to enhance its Ultra-Low Loss (ULL) fiber network, the largest in North America. Additional Resources: Frost & Sullivan named Lumen the 2024 Frost Radar Growth and Innovation Index leader for Wavelength Services in North America. Vertical Systems Group (VSG) Ranked Lumen #1 in Waves on their Year-End 2024 Leaderboard for the fourth consecutive year. About Lumen Technologies Lumen is unleashing the world's digital potential. We ignite business growth by connecting people, data, and applications – quickly, securely, and effortlessly. As the trusted network for AI, Lumen uses the scale of our network to help companies realize AI's full potential. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to our edge cloud, security, managed service, and digital platform capabilities, we meet our customers' needs today and as they build for tomorrow. For news and insights visit LinkedIn: /lumentechnologies, X: @lumentechco, Facebook: /lumentechnologies, Instagram: @lumentechnologies, and YouTube: /lumentechnologies. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Lumen Technologies Sign in to access your portfolio
