Consumer-Reported Verification Data Sources for State Medicaid Eligibility Determination

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking information regarding consumer-reported verification data sources and services to support state Medicaid agencies in eligibility determination through a Request for Information (RFI). CMS is developing the EMMY (Eligibility Made Easy) platform, a centralized, API-based data exchange infrastructure requiring authoritative payroll and employment verification data as a primary focus, along with broader market intelligence on educational enrollment verification, asset and financial verification, identity verification, and integrated verification platforms. Key requirements include API architecture capabilities, FedRAMP authorization status or feasibility timelines, data freshness and geographic coverage across multiple employer types, compliance with applicable privacy laws (FCRA, FERPA, GLBA, Privacy Act of 1974, and HIPAA), and scalability to support 50+ state Medicaid agencies in phased rollout. CMS is evaluating vendors' technical integration readiness, pricing models, data coverage quality, and realistic production-ready timelines for integration. Responses must be submitted electronically by April 17, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time to matthew.wendel@cms.hhs.gov or colin.hahn@cms.hhs.gov, with responses limited to 15 pages exclusive of a required header page and optional attachments.

This RFI carries no set-aside designation and does not signal a commitment to award a contract or guarantee participation in future procurements. No incumbent contractors or award values are identified in this pre-solicitation notice. The RFI is voluntary and non-binding, with CMS explicitly noting it will not reimburse response preparation costs and reserves the right to conduct follow-on market research sessions and modify acquisition strategy based on findings. The acquisition is designed to prepare for community engagement verification requirements established under the Working Families Tax Cut Act (WFTCA), effective January 2027. Vendors are encouraged to focus responses on areas most relevant to their specific capabilities rather than attempting comprehensive responses across all data domains. This market research effort indicates CMS intends to potentially pursue formal solicitations in the future contingent upon the market intelligence gathered from this RFI.