Recovery - Comparative Effectiveness Research Public Use Data Pilot Project

The Government intends to award a competitive task order for a Contractor to take one or more HIPAA Privacy Rule de-identified data sets and, using methods and technologies that exclude "brute force" matching, demonstrate the ability or inability to re-identify the data. Re-identify means to accurately and unambiguously match the de-identified data record to an actual individual. It is important to note that the de-identification provision permits a covered entity to consider health information to be de-identified when it has removed all 18 identifiers and the covered entity does not have actual knowledge that the information could be used alone or in combination to identify the subject individual. Outcomes/Objectives of this project are to increase access to CMS data through the creation of public use data and a means of accessing these data, while continuing to strictly protect beneficiary and provider confidentiality. This notice is provided for informational purposes only as required by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA-2009) (Pub. L. 111-15). CMS intends to award a task order under its Expedited Research and Demonstration (XRAD) Task Order Contract (TOC). The XRAD TOCs were competitively awarded in 2006 to six (6) Small Businesses under the procedures of FAR Subpart 16.5, Indefinite Delivery Contracts. Task Orders are awarded competitively in accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(1), "Fair Opportunity for Consideration Process". No additional information is available. This effort will be performed within two (2) years from the Date of Award. The Contracting Officer has determined that the most appropriate contract type is Cost Plus Fixed-Fee.