Reminder: DUA and VRDC access needs to be extended or renewed annually. Read more.
Purpose of this document
The CMS Innovator Program Supplement collects information from organizations (nonprofit or for-profit) that intend to use the data for the development of a tool/product or for-profit organizations that plan to use the data to conduct research that contributes to generalizable knowledge. It collects descriptions of the products/tools and information about the target audience. Innovators and for-profit organizations must use the CCW Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC) to access data for their research studies.
Who uses this document
All Innovator requests must include a completed CMS Innovator Program Supplement.
Key definitions
What is an innovator? An innovator is a researcher associated with a for-profit organization, or anyone conducting research with the intent to create a product or tool to be sold.
What is research? Research is defined in HIPAA as "a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge." CMS interprets generalizable knowledge to mean that results of the research are made publicly available.
What is the Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC)? The CCW VRDC is a virtual research environment that provides access to Medicare and Medicaid program data. Researchers working in the CCW VRDC have direct access to approved data files and are able to conduct their analyses within the secure environment.
Document Version:
10/2022
Format:
Adobe PDF