Health Equity Data Access Program (HEDAP)

The Health Equity Data Access Program (HEDAP) is a funding initiative designed to support researchers working on minority health research. HEDAP offers funds for three researchers, also referred to as “seats” to have exclusive access to the CMS Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC), a valuable resource that houses CMS restricted data.

The goal of this program is to empower researchers to delve into health services research that particularly targets racial and ethnic minority groups. Not only that, but the scope of this research can also include individuals with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community, people with limited English proficiency, people living in rural areas, and others who are impacted by chronic poverty or inequality.

The program's primary aim is to facilitate applied research projects that employ innovative methods using CMS data. Such projects will ideally improve our understanding of health disparities among Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP enrollees.

Moreover, HEDAP encourages and prioritizes proposals that take into consideration 'intersectionality.' Understanding that people can be part of multiple socially defined groups and may experience overlapping health and social inequities is valuable. The program recognizes that these individuals may also have intertwining strengths and assets that can be leveraged in their healthcare.

The findings that emerge from research conducted through HEDAP will provide CMS and its partners, such as Quality Improvement Organizations and Hospital Engagement Networks, with invaluable insights about various enrollee subgroups. This data will then be used to fine-tune their efforts to identify and alleviate health disparities in underserved sections of the population.

The granted access to the VRDC 'seat' will last for a period of 36 months for each researcher, contingent on the availability of the necessary funds.