Partners: Support

NIA Data Use Agreement (DUA) Support Services

To help you get NIA data authorization to access our data inventory, we offer live support to guide you through the process of establishing or updating your NIA DUA.

CMS Data Linkage Services

We link your study or survey participants to CMS administrative records and output two types of linkage documents:

1. High-Level Match Rate Summary report that includes:

   • an overview of our matching records;
   • non-sensitive, summary matching statistics; and
   • variable population rates.

2. Two Crosswalk Files consisting of:

   • the Internal Study or Survey Crosswalk File, which contains data from your finder file and our linkage results; and
   • the Researcher Crosswalk File, which enables external researchers to link your study or survey data to our CMS data files.

   NOTE: The Researcher Crosswalk File does not contain any personally identifiable information (PII).

We also update your linkage twice a year. To do so, we:

1. Obtain an updated finder file from you (when applicable).
2. Link your finder file against our latest CMS enrollment data, which CMS updates twice per year.
3. Update your linkage documents.

CMS Data Processing Services

To make your research easier, we develop a research-oriented version of your study or survey participants' CMS data by synchronizing versions of Parts A & B data and developing summary files that aggregate raw Medicare and Medicaid data from one participant into one row of data.

To minimize the re-identification risk of merging your study or survey data to CMS data, we've developed a Variable Encryption Techniques workbook for you to specify or update CMS data variable encryption methods.

CMS Data Distribution Services

To support your researchers, we've developed a MedRIC-specific data request form that simplifies how those researchers request access to your study or survey participants' CMS data in our data inventory.

To assist you with the distribution of CMS-linked data of your study or survey participants, we follow NIA's data distribution protocols and securely distribute files to authorized recipients.

CMS Data Update Services

To get you newly available CMS data for your study or survey participants, we request CMS authorization to add new CMS data to NIA's CMS data inventory annually. When we do so, we work with you to ensure that your NIA DUA remains up-to-date and in sync with NIA's DUA.

MedRIC Request Tracking Tool

To help you manage your partnership duties, we can provide you with access to our Request Tracking Tool, which enables you to:

• log and keep track of your partnership tasks;
• upload data request materials; and
• communicate partnership questions to us.