PATHWAYS TO CMS DATA @UCSF
No-to-Low Cost
- Research Identifiable Files (RIFs)
- Contains PHI and/or PII
- Data years 2009-2017
- 2018 data coming soon
R, STATA, SAS via RAE platform
- $2k re-use fee to ResDAC
- Owned by Dr. Julia Adler-Milstein,
Director of CLIIR
- Requires annual DUA renewal
Need to figure out actual point of contact
for re-use
- Executive Summary
- DUA
- DMP (template available)
- Evidence of funding
- Study protocol
R, STATA, SAS via RAE platform
- Research Identifiable Files
- Virtual Research Data Center
- 100%
- $25k VRDC Access Fee per
user/per year (covers CMS
onboarding, seat license, training,
output review & admin fees)
- Additional costs vary based on
project needs
ResDAC website
- Executive Summary
- DUA
- DMP (template available)
- Evidence of funding
- Study protocol
Provided by VRDC
- PI Support Letter
- RIF Request Letter
- IRB approval
- PI Support Letter
- RIF Request Letter
- IRB approval
Some Cost High Cost
- Research Identifiable Files (RIFs)
- Contains PHI and/or PII
- Part D, MBSF Chronic and Other
Chronic Conditions, Cost and
Utilizations
- Data years 2010-2018
- $2k re-use fee to ResDAC
- Owned by Ulrike Muench, Social
Behavioral Sciences of School of
Nursing
- Requires annual DUA renewal
- RIF Request Letter
- IRB approval
- Executive Summary
- DUA
- DMP (template available)
- Evidence of funding
- Study protocol
SAS only
3-6 months (possibly longer)3-6 months (possibly longer)
3-6 months (possibly longer):
Request Process Timeline
- K-Scholar Awarded
- Faculty with grant funding
- K-Scholar Awarded
- Faculty with grant funding
- K-Scholar Awarded
- Faculty with grant funding
Free Public Use Files (1%) Limited Dataset Files (5%/100%) VA Pathway 20% Part A & B 20% Part D (coming soon) VRDC
Need to figure out actual point of contact
for re-use
Useful Acronyms:
- PUF: Public Use File
- HSAF: Hospital Service Area File
- PSPS: Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary Master File
- PHARM: Prescription Drug Plan Formulary and Pharmacy Network Files
- RDIS: Research Data Information System
- WOC: Without Compensation
- VINCI: VA Informatics and Computing Structure
- VIREC: VA Information Resource Center
- VPN: Virtual Private Network
- CLIIR: Center for Clinical Informatics and Improvement Research
- DUA: Data Use Agreement
- DMP: Data Management Plan
- PII/PHI: Personally Identifiable Information/Protected Health Information, e.g. SSN,
Zip Code, Phone #, Birth dates, Gender, MRN)
- Part A & B: 6 TB
- RAE Storage: 1 TB for $500 + 0.14
per GB backup fees
- Expected Wynton costs:
- 500 GB free $160 per 1TB +
one-time setup fee
- Cloud storage not yet allowed by
CMS
- RAE Platform is the only current
UCSF environment meeting
requirements for CMS data storage
- UCSF IT Wynton PHI storage
expected in 2021
Provided by VRDC
- Part D: 3 TB
- RAE Storage: 1 TB for $500 + 0.14 per
GB backup fees
- Expected Wynton costs:
- 500 GB free $160 per 1TB +
one-time setup fee
- Non-Identifiable Data Files/Public
Use Files
- Contains aggregate-level information
- No PII or PHI
- HSAF data years 2010-2017, annual
- PSPS data years 2010-2017, annual
- "Early" PSPS most recent year
- Monthly PHARM data years
12/2005-current
- Quarterly PHARM data years
2009-current
- HSAF, PSPS: Free
- PHARM: $250/mnth or $750/qtr
CMS PUF Information
PUF Request Worksheet
- 5% of all patients, Master Beneficiary
data, longitudinal
- VHA central data repository
- Data years 2000-present
- Medicare Chronic Conditions
Warehouse
Free
VA Data Core Consultation
- Establish scope of practice on RDIS
roster
- VA WOC appointment
- Remote access to VA network
- VINCI workspace request
- PI status at SFVA (optional)
VA VPN storage and access (VA
issued laptop required)
R, STATA, SAS within VA remote
desktop (VA issued laptop required)
No approvals required
- IRB approval
- VA Research & Development
approval
- VIREC approval for CMS Data
6-12 months
- Instant download for free files
- 0-2 weeks for hard copy or pay files
- Student
- Fellow/Post-Doc
- Pre-Award
- Any project without substantial
external funding
- Fellow/Post-Doc
- K-Scholar Awarded
- Faculty
- Any project without substantial
external funding
Excel files, no known security
requirements
Any of user's choosing
All files stored on VA VPN remote
desktop environment
- HSAF: 36 MB
- PSPS: 300 MB
- PHARM: 10 MB
Dataset
Details
Usage
Cost
Time to
Obtain
Required
Approvals
Required
Forms
Storage Security
Requirements
Storage
Size & Cost
Analysis
Software
How to
Get Started
Likely
Use Case
- Limited Dataset Files
- Contain beneficiary level protected
health information similar to the RIF
files
- Includes beneficiary level data
- 100% or 5% random sample file, data
years vary by file
LDS Order Form (includes cost
calculator)
No approvals required
DUA
0-2 months (varies by files requested)
- Shipping address must meet security
requirements & be physically secure
- No transfer of CMS data to any
equipment other than the custodian?s
organization
- All devices associated with CMS data
are in a secure location
- Work session/laptop locks out after 15
minutes of inactivity
Varies by files requested
Any of user's choosing
CMS LDS Information
- Student
- Fellow/Post-Doc
- Pre-Award
- Any project without substantial
external funding
- Cloud storage not yet allowed by
CMS
- RAE Platform is the only current
UCSF environment meeting
requirements for CMS data storage
- UCSF IT Wynton PHI storage
expected in 2021
