The CMS and the NIH/NCI exchange data under a cooperative research project to support and enhance each agency?s mission via a two phase process. The terms, conditions, safeguards, and procedures under which CMS and NIH/NCI conduct this cooperative research project are outlined in an Information Exchange Agreement (CMS IEA No. 2018-40). Briefly, this IAA is related to the first phase of the data exchange, whereby NIH/NCI receives Medicare enrollment and utilization (claims and encounter) data and Medicaid enrollment data for persons in the NIH/NCI Surveillance Epidemiolgy and End Results (SEER) cancer regristry data who are also found in the CMS data. NIH/NCI then takes the data provided by CMS and merges it with the cancer registry data to create the SEER-CMS datasets: SEER-Medicare, SEER-Medicaid, SEER-Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (SEER-MHOS), and SEER-Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (SEER-CAHPS). The SEER-CMS datasets are maintained under the NIH/NCI System of Record No. 09-25-0200. Thereby, NIH/NCI oversees the release of data from the SEER-CMS datasets through formal application processes that require requestors to submit research specific study proposals, which must include justification for the requested data and a data storage and protection plan, a NIH/NCI Data Use Agreement, and documentation of an Institutional Review Board assessment. The analyses of the SEER-CMS data allows for insights into cancer care delivery and outcomes across the cancer continuum from screening to end-of-life for a growing proportion of the US population. Under this IAA, CMS will provide NIH/NCI with the requested data from the Chronic Condition Warehous/Virtual Research Data Center (CCW/VRDC). The requesting organization will conform with all of CMS's data release policies and procedures. CMS will make the appropriate minimally necessary data available to approved users once all CMS data requirements are met.
