ASHA Opposes Changes to Disability-Relevant Questions in the National Health Interview Survey

October 27, 2026

In late August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations for the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). In the proposal, the CDC invited the general public and government agencies to comment on the data collection of the NHIS and proposed a systemic redesign of the survey.

The NHIS is the nation's longest-running household health survey and provides essential information for health research and policymaking in the U.S., including essential health care coverage and access to health care.

ASHA is concerned that these proposed changes-such as the removal of questions that are crucial to understanding disability and its prevalence in the U.S.-could cause survey results to underrepresent individuals with hearing, communication, and cognitive disabilities. So in response, ASHA recently signed on to a letter from the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities requesting:

• retention of disability-relevant questions, including hearing aid use and cognition;
• consistent measurement for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities;
• testing for accessibility; and
• inclusion of people with disabilities at every stage of testing, revision, and deployment.

ASHA firmly supports accurate and comprehensive disability data collection to inform funding and policies for all people with disabilities, including those whom ASHA members serve.

What This Survey Means for Audiologists and SLPs

The NHIS gathers crucial data on many of the people audiologists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) serve. Since 1957, the survey has collected representative data on sources of coverage, insurance adequacy and continuity, and measures of disability and functional status.

NHIS information directly feeds into data that other executive branch agencies serving people with disabilities rely on-including the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, among others.

As the CDC stated in this proposal, the NHIS is the "single most important source of statistics to track progress toward HHS health objectives." The survey also provides an important check on whether and how people with disabilities actually receive needed services and supports. That in turn helps lawmakers to understand when resources for specific disabled people need to be adjusted or updated.

ASHA will continue to monitor the NHIS.

Questions?

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