US government proposes major reductions to National Health Interview Survey

The federal government is planning to significantly reduce the scope of the National Health Interview Survey, a 69-year-old initiative used to track public health trends. To address declining response rates and reduce costs, officials expect the 2028 questionnaire to be cut from its current 490 questions to approximately 200 or 225 questions.

Researchers and disability advocates warn that these cuts could lead to a massive underestimation of the disabled population. Proposed removals include questions regarding memory, fatigue, arthritis, and mobility issues, as well as the use of assistive devices like hearing aids, canes, and wheelchairs. Experts suggest that as many as a quarter of wheelchair users and over a third of people who are blind or deaf could be miscategorized as not disabled.

Such inaccuracies may prevent the government from accurately recognizing the health needs of disabled Americans or assessing the impact of changes to Medicaid and other insurance programs. The survey is a $40 million annual project conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).