Institute for Public Health Practice, Research and Policy

The partnership between Wellmark and the Center for Public Health Statistics (CPHS) has provided many years of support to members of the UI research community involved in research based on health claims data. In addition to investigator-driven research, the Wellmark Data Repository may also be used for appropriate educational purposes of students.

The Repository includes select administrative claims data and enrollment periods on individuals residing in Iowa and South Dakota who have health care insurance administered by Wellmark.

A unique ID assigned by Wellmark is used to match claims to an individual, but this ID cannot be matched to any direct identifiers or to any other database. CPHS maintains the data Repository and does not have access to subject identities. The data are stored on a secure server that can only be accessed by individuals (using their HawkID) after an approval process by Wellmark. The Repository is not available for commercial purposes. Use of the data is strictly limited to the scope specifically described in the access request and expressly authorized by Wellmark within the limits of the Wellmark-UI Data Use Agreement and under the access terms defined in this agreement. While the agreement between Wellmark and the University of Iowa is in place, the data will be updated annually.

Access charge: To fiscally support CPHS maintenance of the data repository on the dedicated CPHS server there is an access fee. Projects with a PI and at most one eligible user will be charged $360/year per project. Projects involving a PI and two or more eligible users will be charged $600/year per project. Uses for dissertation research will be charged $120 per year. The annual charge will be billed after project approval and prior to granting server access.

Requests for access to the Repository are managed and submitted through the University Workflow system. Proceed to the Application Process.

Feasibility Requests

Prior to a formal Project Request an investigator may wish to obtain some basic information from the Repository to determine if the anticipated project is feasible. For example, an investigator may want to know the number of available individuals of a specified age range with certain CPT or diagnosis codes. If you are planning a study and wish to request further information to determine feasibility, please send an email to wellmarkdata@uiowa.edu, and we will assist you.