The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMS Innovation Center) conducts research to better understand the effects of new payment models on beneficiary health, healthcare and costs. Numerous researchers from academia share this interest, and are presently conducting studies or plan to conduct studies to also learn about new payment models.
The CMS Innovation Center has received requests to write a letters in support of research activities conducted by academic research groups. An example of such a request is a letter to encourage physicians to participate in a survey.
We outline criteria that the CMS Innovation Center will use to determine whether or not the CMS Innovation Center will provide such a letter.
- Eligibility – Letters of support will be considered for academic researchers conducting research studies to better understand how new payment or service delivery models affect the quality and cost of care for Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries.
- Letters will only be provided under this mechanism for academic research projects that are fully funded from other sources. Agreement to provide a letter of support for a research activity does not indicate any financial support of the research activity.
- CMMI will only provide a letter of support if CMMI leadership determines that the products will provide useful results that may better inform CMS policy-making.
- If a letter of support is provided, the researchers must provide the CMS Innovation Center with the raw data resulting from the research for the purposes of research and evaluation. Specific terms and conditions regarding how that data can be used must be specified between the researchers and CMS Innovation Center prior to the issuance of the letter. Data will not be used to determine provider reimbursement.
- The CMS Innovation Center will not use program funds to print the letters or send them out. The researcher must cover those costs.
- The CMS Innovation Center requires researchers to provide a list that specifies to whom the CMS Innovation Center letter will be sent.
- Requests for a letter of support should clearly delineate the research questions to be evaluated, the sources of funding, the value to CMS policymakers, and the data that will be provided to the CMS Innovation Center. Such requests should be emailed to Faida.Hill@cms.hhs.gov.
Any further questions should be directed to Faida.Hill@cms.hhs.gov.
