RFI - Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey

Request for Information (RFI)

This RFI seeks knowledge and information to aid in project planning and to explore alternative solutions and industry standards for the administration and operation of the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS). It is not a solicitation for proposals.

The MCBS is a continuous, multi-purpose longitudinal survey that has been collecting data on Medicare beneficiaries' perspectives and experiences since 1991. It gathers comprehensive information on beneficiaries' social and medical risk factors, healthcare utilization, and health outcomes. This data is crucial for policy development, program evaluation, and understanding beneficiary experiences that cannot be obtained from administrative sources alone. The MCBS covers all segments of the Medicare population, including Fee-for-Service and Medicare Advantage enrollees, individuals aged 65 and over, those aged 64 and below with disabling conditions, users and non-users of healthcare services, and those living in community or facility settings.

CMS is seeking industry input on several areas:

• Survey Application: Recommendations for industry-preferred survey applications compatible with the CMS cloud environment.

• Business Operations: Best practices for case management tools (business intelligence, workflow, case management) to support MCBS operations.

• Data Capture: Best practices for capturing data from paper Explanation of Benefits (EOBs), health care receipts, and patient portals via various survey methods.

• Rapid Data Collection: Experience and best practices for quickly developing, testing, and refining new survey questions for dynamic policy environments.

• Sample Design Transition: Recommendations for managing the transition to a new sample design in 2026, which will involve fielding cases under both the redesigned and legacy samples concurrently.

• Metadata Management: Best practices for developing, maintaining, and sharing metadata in a CMS Cloud-hosted environment to support modern analytical tools.

• Contracting Mechanism: Recommendations on whether to use a Statement of Work (SOW) or Statement of Objectives (SOO) with a Performance Work Statement (PWS) for the next contract, considering potential innovative enhancements.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): Industry best practices for responsible AI use in survey research and data operations, and planning for future AI applications.

• Cloud Migration: Best practices for tracking progress and mitigating slippage during the migration of the MCBS system to the CMS Cloud, ensuring data security and continuity.

• Process Efficiencies: Expected innovative process efficiencies from leveraging cloud-native tools during the migration and modernization.

• Due Date: April 1, 2026, by 12:00 PM EST.

• Submission Method: Email responses to Jessica Foster (Jessica.Foster@cms.hhs.gov) and Jennifer Davis (Jennifer.Davis@cms.hhs.gov).

• Format: Microsoft Word document, 8.5x11 inches, 1" margins, Times New Roman or Aptos 12pt font. Submissions not to exceed 10 pages (excluding cover page).

• This RFI is for market research only and does not obligate the government to award a contract.

• Responses will not be returned and will not be accepted after the due date.

• Respondents will not be notified of the results of the review.

• CMS reserves the right to utilize any non-proprietary technical information in future solicitations.

Request for Information (RFI)

This RFI seeks information from industry regarding the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS). The purpose is to gather knowledge and information for project planning and to explore alternative solutions and industry standards for the administration and operation of the MCBS. This is not a solicitation for proposals or quotations.

The MCBS is a continuous, multi-purpose longitudinal survey that collects data directly from Medicare beneficiaries to understand their experiences, health outcomes, and healthcare utilization. It provides data essential for policy development, program evaluation, and understanding beneficiary perspectives that cannot be obtained from administrative sources alone. The MCBS covers the full diversity of the Medicare population, including those in Fee-for-Service and Medicare Advantage, across various age groups and living situations.

• MCBS Redesign: CMS is implementing a significant redesign of the MCBS, including a new sampling approach to be launched in Fall 2026. This redesign aims to produce robust state-level estimates, capture geography-specific experiences, and allow for rapid response to emerging policy questions. The phased implementation will occur over four years, with full implementation by Fall 2029.

• Cloud Migration: CMS is migrating the MCBS system to a government-owned cloud environment. The RFI seeks industry input on best practices for data migration, cloud hosting, and leveraging cloud-native tools for operational efficiencies.

• Survey Methodology & Operations: The RFI inquires about industry-preferred survey applications, business operations capabilities for case management, best practices for data capture (e.g., from EOBs, patient portals), and methods for rapid survey question development and testing.

• Contracting Scope: Industry is asked to recommend whether a Statement of Work (SOW) or Statement of Objectives (SOO) with a Performance Work Statement (PWS) is more appropriate for the upcoming contract, considering potential innovative enhancements.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): CMS anticipates future uses of AI in survey operations and data processing and seeks industry best practices for responsible AI use and planning for future AI applications.

• Due Date: Responses are due no later than 12:00 PM EST on March 27, 2026.

• Format: Email responses in Microsoft Word format, 8.5x11 inches, 1" margins, Times New Roman or Aptos 12pt font. Submissions shall not exceed 10 pages (excluding cover page).

• Contact: Jessica Foster (Jessica.Foster@cms.hhs.gov) and Jennifer Davis (Jennifer.Davis@cms.hhs.gov).

• This RFI is for market research purposes only and does not constitute a commitment to award a contract.

• Responses will not be returned and will not be accepted after the due date.

• Respondents will not be notified of the results of the review; information received will be used solely to inform decisions regarding a potential procurement.