Community Brochure_InPerson_English

What do you need to know about your
rights and privacy?
• Your participation is voluntary. You do
not have to answer any question you do
not want to answer, though most people
find the interview enjoyable.
• The information you provide will be kept
private to the extent permitted by law, as
prescribed by the Privacy Act of 1974.
The information you give will only be
used for research and statistical purposes.

Any other questions?
Please feel free to contact MCBS staff at
NORC at the University of Chicago at anytime.
Call toll-free at: 1-844-777-2151
Email at: [email protected]
Visit us at: mcbs.norc.org

• Your Medicare Benefits will not be
affected in any way by your answers
or your decision whether or not to
participate.
• Your data could be carefully verified by
computer matching to administrative
records under Public Law 100-503
[The Computer Matching and Privacy
Protection Act]. All information will be
kept private.

You have been selected to take part in an
important study called the Medicare Current
Beneficiary Survey (MCBS).
This survey is authorized by section 1875 (42 USC
139511) of the Social Security Act and is conducted
by NORC at the University of Chicago for the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
OMB No. 0938-0568 | Expires 8/31/2027

You are one of 16,000 people scientifically
selected at random to represent the Medicare
experiences of other Medicare beneficiaries
all over the United States.

What is the Medicare Current
Beneficiary Survey?

in-depth health care cost and use, which are
used to accomplish the following:

MCBS is a survey designed to help policymakers
understand the needs of people who use
Medicare. MCBS has been conducted since
1991 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS), which oversees Medicare.
MCBS informs policymakers who make decisions
about the Medicare program, providing them
with important insight on Medicare
beneficiaries’ experiences with healthcare.

• To help us understand how Medicare
affects your daily life, and what problems
you might be experiencing with it.

The MCBS has been conducted since 1991
because the information you provide about your
health and health care costs is so valuable.
CMS, part of the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, oversees Medicare and
sponsors this survey in order to gain valuable
information from you about how well Medicare
is administered.

What does this mean for me?
If you take part in this survey, a specially trained
interview from our contractor, NORC at the
University of Chicago, will interview you by
phone or in person. The interviewer will ask
you questions about the health care services you
use, your opinions about those services, and
how much they cost. The initial survey lasts
about an hour, with the remaining surveys
lasting approximately ninety minutes. The
MCBS asks beneficiaries about their experiences
with Medicare three times a year, and you will
be contacted again for subsequent interviews.
Your participation is valuable in helping
policymakers make informed decisions on ways
to improve Medicare for people like you.

Why should I participate?
The information you provide to us cannot be
replaced by any other data source in the
country. This study is the only source of such

Preventive Care, 2020

• To help increase Medicare coverage
and efficiency for you and for other
beneficiaries, both now and in the future.
• To provide legislators and policy
makers with more information to create
effective laws and regulations for people
enrolled in Medicare. In fact, the Part D
prescription drug benefit was created in
part based on findings from the MCBS.
• To improve the quality of care you and
other Medicare beneficiaries receive.

What do we know about Medicare
because of YOU?
Internet Use, 2020

Telemedicine Use, 2020