Research Data Assistance Center

What Research Data Assistance Center does

Research Data Assistance Center (ResDAC), founded in 1996 and based in the United States, is the official technical assistance contractor for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), providing researchers with the procedural, technical, and educational support required to access and analyze CMS Medicare and Medicaid Research Identifiable Files (RIF). Its core platform is the CCW Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC), a CMS-compliant secure virtual desktop environment that hosts approved RIF data and exposes SAS, STATA, R, Python, and Databricks (SQL notebooks) for analysis; all outbound outputs pass through a CMS privacy review (minimum cell count of 11; standard 2-business-day SLA) before release, and storage persists for three years post-study to support follow-on publication queries. ResDAC also coordinates physical data delivery under DMP SAQ alignment with CMS Acceptable Risk Safeguards (ARS) 5.1, and runs a separate Innovator Research Program tier with higher compute and storage allocations and stricter output review limits for for-profit users.

ResDAC monetizes indirectly through its CMS contract: per-seat license, per-project, storage, and Databricks credit fees are set by CMS under Section 1106(c) of the Social Security Act and flow to CMS rather than ResDAC, which the source material explicitly describes as not generating commercial revenue. Customers are segmented across academic health services researchers (primary), for-profit innovators building commercial products, state agencies analyzing opt-in Medicaid data, and federal researchers conducting policy and program evaluation; access is restricted to US-based researchers per CMS policy. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and inbound: resdac.org serves as the primary portal with a data file finder, request forms generator, variable search, 100+ knowledgebase articles, video workshops, a YouTube channel, and direct email/phone support ([email protected]; 1-844-685-3100). The organization's strategic roadmap signals continued catalog expansion (Part D enhancements in October 2026, AHCAH Release 2 in 2025) and access-frequency upgrades (monthly VRDC updates introduced in 2025), while a recent CMS decision indefinitely delayed the mandate to migrate all studies into VRDC and replaced it with updated ARS-5.1-aligned security requirements.

Name

Research Data Assistance Center

Legal name

Research Data Assistance Center

Website

https://resdac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ResDAC is the official CMS contractor that helps US-based researchers find, request, and analyze Medicare and Medicaid Research Identifiable Files through its CCW Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC) and educational resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Research Data Services

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)

akta.pro primary industry

Real-World Data (RWD) Platforms & Clinical Data Curation (HLACAIAJ)

Keywords

• CMS research data
• Medicare Medicaid data
• Virtual Research Data Center
• Health services research
• Data Use Agreement support

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Government-funded Technical Assistance: ResDAC is a government-funded organization that provides technical assistance to researchers seeking CMS data. As a CMS contractor, ResDAC does not generate commercial revenue but serves as an intermediary helping researchers navigate the data request process.
2. Data Access Fees (CMS): CMS charges fees for physical access to Research Identifiable Files (RIF) and VRDC access. Fees include seat access (per user per year), project fees (annual), and space/usage costs. These fees are set by CMS under Section 1106(c) of the Social Security Act to cover the cost of making data available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ResDAC is a CMS contractor that provides technical assistance to researchers seeking access to Medicare and Medicaid data. It supports the full CMS data request lifecycle — feasibility checks, study design, Data Use Agreement (DUA) submission, fee negotiation, and post-award analytic support — and operates the CCW Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC) for secure analysis of Research Identifiable Files. It also delivers a knowledge library of methods articles, eTraining courses, and hands-on workshops.

Product overview

ResDAC is a technical assistance center that provides access to CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) research data. The core offering is the CCW Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC), a secure virtual environment for accessing Research Identifiable Files (RIF) containing Medicare and Medicaid data. Data products include Medicare Fee-For-Service claims, Medicare Advantage/Part C encounter data, Part D prescription drug data, Master Beneficiary Summary files, Medicaid data (TAF/MAX), chronic conditions data, assessment data (IRF-PAI, MDS), and CMMI model data. Researchers can access data via VRDC (preferred) or physical data delivery. Support services include training workshops, data request assistance, and a specialized Innovator Research Program for commercial users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CCW Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC)

Quantifiable outcome

• Researchers can request monthly data updates for studies conducted using CCW VRDC
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResDAC operates as the CMS contractor providing technical assistance for research data requests. All CMS data access requests must go through ResDAC. ResDAC helps researchers navigate CMS policies, IRB requirements, DUA processes, and data use procedures.
• Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse (CCW)coreTechnology or IntegrationCCW is the source of Medicare and Medicaid data files and the operator of the Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC). ResDAC provides technical guidance on CCW data products, VRDC access, and coordinates between researchers and CCW for data requests.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse (CCW): CCW is the actual operator of the VRDC infrastructure and the source of Medicare/Medicaid research data files. While technically a partner rather than a competitor, it is the closest related entity and could in theory absorb ResDAC's role under a future CMS reorganization.

Direct peers

• Truveta: Truveta is a private real-world data platform aggregating de-identified patient data from US health systems for research and analytics. It competes with ResDAC's Innovator program for commercial RWD demand targeting CMS-relevant populations.
• Komodo Health: Komodo Health operates a healthcare analytics platform built on de-identified patient-level data for life sciences, payers, and providers. It is a commercial alternative for researchers who would otherwise queue for CMS data through ResDAC.
• AHRQ Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP): HCUP is the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's family of healthcare databases and research tools, providing another federal pathway for hospital care and health services research. It competes for the same academic health services research segment using a similar government-funded assistance model.

Broad incumbents

• Health Catalyst: Health Catalyst provides healthcare data and analytics infrastructure to health systems and life sciences companies. It overlaps with ResDAC's data warehousing and analytics enablement role but serves a broader commercial enterprise segment.
• Definitive Healthcare: Definitive Healthcare provides commercial intelligence on healthcare providers, including claims-derived metrics. While focused on provider intelligence rather than direct research data access, it competes for a portion of the same healthcare data customer base.
• IQVIA Real World Solutions: IQVIA operates one of the largest commercial real-world evidence platforms globally, supporting pharma and academic research with curated patient data. It is an alternate data source for researchers who might otherwise use CMS data via ResDAC.
• Optum Life Sciences / Optum Insights: Optum operates one of the largest commercial claims and electronic health record data assets via its parent UnitedHealth Group, providing an alternative real-world evidence source for pharma and academic research that overlaps with CMS data use cases.

Emerging players

• Datavant: Datavant builds data connectivity and de-identification infrastructure linking patient records across datasets for research. It overlaps with ResDAC's curation and privacy-preserving access role at a different stage of the research data lifecycle.

Regional players

• State All-Payer Claims Databases (APCDs): State APCDs aggregate commercial, Medicaid, and Medicare claims at the state level for health policy research. They are a regional alternative to ResDAC for state-bounded studies and increasingly linked to CMS Medicaid data through programs ResDAC supports.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/resdac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/research-data-assistance-cente

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Research Data Assistance Center