Data Intermediaries Request for Information FAQ

1. What does CDC mean by a "public health data intermediary"?

For purposes of this Request for Information (RFI) on Data Intermediaries and Approaches to Strengthen Public Health Data Exchange, CDC defines a public health data intermediary as a trusted organization, network, platform, or governed service that supports the secure, standards-based exchange and stewardship of health-related data between data sources and public health authorities. These intermediaries may provide technical, operational, governance, analytic, visualization, technical assistance, or community engagement capabilities. Examples may include HIEs, HDUs, QHINs, CMS-Aligned Networks, public health data hubs, and other exchange platforms.

2. Who should consider responding to the RFI?

CDC is seeking input from a broad range of individuals and organizations involved in public health, healthcare, and health information exchange. The RFI is designed to solicit perspectives across different intermediary types, jurisdictions, organizational sizes, levels of technical maturity, and public health use cases. Respondents are encouraged to provide context about their role, organization, jurisdiction, primary use cases, relevant resource or timing constraints, and concrete examples from their experience.

3. What topics does the RFI ask partners to address?

The RFI seeks input across several major areas related to public health data intermediaries:

• Definition of Public Health Data Intermediaries: Helps distinguish intermediaries from HIEs, vendors, registries, platforms, and public health agencies.
• Standards & Technical Capabilities: CDC needs input on the minimum technical bar for trusted, scalable, standards-based data exchange, including emerging technologies such as AI.
• Funding & Sustainability: Intermediary services must be financially viable without creating barriers for under-resourced jurisdictions or locking public health into single vendors.
• Governance & Accountability: Intermediaries may sit between many organizations, so stakeholders need confidence that roles, responsibilities, accountability, and data privacy protections are clear.
• Implementation & Readiness: Even strong models can fail without practical implementation support, especially for organizations with limited technical capacity.
• Evaluation of Outcomes, Value & Cost Efficiency: Helps determine whether intermediaries improve public health data exchange, reduce burden, and deliver value relative to cost.

CDC is also interested in potential unintended consequences, including vendor lock-in, market concentration, administrative burden, and unequal distribution of benefits.

4. Do respondents need to answer every question in the RFI?

No. CDC encourages interested parties to respond to as many questions as possible, but respondents do not need to address every question. To make responses easier to review, CDC asks commenters to be clear and concise and to identify the applicable question label or labels in their submission, such as "II.B-1" or "II.D-2."

5. How can partners submit comments on the RFI?

Comments may be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at Regulations.gov, or through mail, hand delivery, or courier methods specified in the Federal Register notice. CDC asks commenters not to submit duplicate comments through multiple methods. Comments cannot be submitted by fax.

6. How do I submit a comment through Regulations.gov?

Go to Regulations.gov, locate the docket for this CDC RFI (Docket Number CDC-2026-1519), and follow the instructions provided for submitting a comment. If you include an attachment, the notice states that Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Adobe PDF files are accepted, with Microsoft Word preferred. Be sure to follow the docket instructions and identify the RFI as directed in the Federal Register notice.

7. When are comments due, and will submissions be made public?

To be assured consideration, comments must be received by November 20, 2026. Comments received before the close of the comment period will be posted to Regulations.gov and available for viewing by the public. Commenters should not include personally identifiable information, personal health information, proprietary business information, or other material they do not wish to make public.

8. How will CDC use the information it receives?

CDC is evaluating how data intermediaries can support secure, scalable, standards-based public health data exchange. CDC will use public comment to inform that evaluation and to explore how data intermediaries can advance broader goals to prevent disease, detect emerging threats, drive state-of-the-art solutions that empower communities, and strengthen public health systems for a safer, healthier nation.

9. Is this RFI a new requirement, funding opportunity, or procurement?

No. The notice states that this is a Request for Information only. It is a general solicitation of public comments intended to gather facts and opinions to inform CDC's work. The notice also explains that this general solicitation is exempt from the Paperwork Reduction Act under the cited implementing regulation.