2023 NHIS Updated Advance Letter

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Health Statistics
3311 Toledo Road
Hyattsville, MD 20782

Your address has been selected to participate in the 2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

What is
the NHIS?

NHIS is the oldest household health survey in the United States. It is conducted by the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), a part of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Census Bureau is contracted to collect the data.
Since 1957, NHIS data has shown whether Americans’ health is getting better or worse
and which groups of people are more likely to have health problems. This helps the CDC
and other organizations develop programs to keep America healthy. To learn more, see
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm.

What to
do now

Call 1–888–123–4567, then press XX, ext. 1234 to schedule your appointment at a
time that is convenient for you, including days, evenings, and weekends. For most
households, the interview will take less than an hour.

Why
should I
participate?

y Help kids. Public health workers use NHIS data to improve programs that keep kids
and families healthy.
y Help adults. Doctors use NHIS data to identify factors that help adults live longer,
healthier lives.
y Help veterans. Veterans groups use NHIS data to track veterans’ health and
advocate for better programs.
y Help your family members, friends, and community. NHIS data helps
researchers understand how we can achieve and sustain the good health we all want
for ourselves and for the people we love.

What to
expect

1. A U.S. Census Bureau interviewer (with Census Bureau ID) will come to your home.
2. They will ask you a few questions about the people living at this address.
3. A computer will randomly pick one adult and one child (if present) for the health
interview.
4. The interviewer will ask the adult about their own health and a family member about
the health of the child.
You Cannot be Replaced. We want the survey to represent the whole United
States. The only way to do this is to randomly select addresses. Only people who live at
these addresses participate. We rely on you to make the survey results as accurate as
possible. Participation is voluntary, but we cannot replace you with another person.
Confidentiality Ensured. Everything you tell us is confidential. Your information is
ONLY used for statistical purposes. We remove all personally identifying information from
the data. After that, the data is posted on the NHIS website for future research or to guide
public health decisions.

Thank you for participating in this important survey.

Sincerely,

Brian C. Moyer, Ph.D.
Director, National Center for Health Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

HIS-600(L)(G) ( -2020)
U.S. Census Bureau,
Regional
Office
CS331489

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY (NHIS)
1. HOW WAS I CHOSEN FOR THE SURVEY?
Your address was randomly selected from all of the addresses in the United States. We do not know who lives at each
address. Every month we pick between XXXX and XXXX home addresses across the entire country. Everyone has a
chance to be picked. This process ensures that the addresses selected represent everyone in the United States.
2. WHY NOT INTERVIEW AT THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET? WHY IS MY PARTICIPATION
IMPORTANT?
You are important! The people across the street are not the same as you. We cannot swap one address for another. If
we did that, the survey results would not accurately describe the entire country.
3. I AM NOT SICK – WHY SHOULD I TAKE PART IN A HEALTH SURVEY?
This is a survey of the nation’s health. We want to know how many people are sick and why they are sick. We also want
to know how many people are healthy and what makes them healthy. Everyone’s answers are important.
4. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO ASK ME?
NHIS asks about a lot of things. We will ask about doctor visits, medical conditions, health insurance, and other topics.
We also ask questions to understand the health information you give us. For example, we ask about race and income.
We will also ask if it is okay to combine your answers with information from other places, like medical records. Most
people have no difficulty with any of the questions in NHIS.
You might find some questions to be sensitive. You may choose not to answer any or all questions in this survey and
can stop at any time. There are no penalties for refusing to answer questions. However, the information we collect is
very important. We need your help to ensure that the survey results are complete and correct. You are getting a special
chance to make a difference in the health of the nation.
5. CAN I COMPLETE THE SURVEY ONLINE?
One of the reasons that NHIS is the U.S. gold standard health survey is that the data are collected by highly trained and
skilled U.S. Census Bureau interviewers. There is no online option for NHIS.
6. WHO WILL SEE MY ANSWERS?
NCHS collects and uses information you provide in accordance with System of Records Notice 09-20-0164,
Health and Demographic Surveys Conducted in Probability Samples of the United States (https://www.cdc.gov/
SORNnotice/09-20-0164.htm). We take your privacy very seriously. We combine your answers with other people’s
answers in a way that keeps everyone’s identity secret. As required by federal law, your identity can be seen only by
those NCHS employees and specially designated agents (such as the U.S. Census Bureau) who need that information
for a specific reason. No one else can see your answers until all information that could identify you and/or your family
has been removed.
7. WHAT LAWS PROTECT MY PRIVACY?
Congress authorized the NHIS data collection in Section 306 of the Public Health Service Act (42 United States
Code 242k). Strict federal laws prevent us from releasing information that could identify you or your family to anyone
else without your permission. These laws are: Section 308(d) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242m(d));
the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2018 (Title III, Public Law No. 115-435); and
the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a). Every National Center for Health Statistics employee, contractor, research
partner, and agent has taken an oath to keep your information private. Anyone who willfully discloses ANY identifiable
information about ANYONE in the survey could get a jail term of up to 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. In
addition to the above cited laws, NCHS complies with the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015 (6 U.S.C. §§
151 and 151 note), which protects federal information systems from cybersecurity risks by screening their networks.
8. WHO PROTECTS THE INTERESTS OF SURVEY PARTICIPANTS?
The Ethics Review Board (ERB) of NCHS reviews survey content and methods to protect study participants. You may
call the ERB to ask about your rights as a participant in this survey. The toll-free number is 1–800–223–8118. You will
get an answering service. Please leave a brief message with your name and phone number. Say you are calling about
Protocol #2019-09. Your call will be returned promptly.