PAPI Reminder Letter V2

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

Recently, we requested your participation in the National Health Interview Survey. We are contacting you
one final time to ask for your help with this very important survey. If you have already responded to the
survey, please accept our sincere thanks. If you have not yet responded, please respond today.
This survey is conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau. The
information gathered in this survey is critical to understanding the health needs of our country. You were
randomly selected as part of this voluntary survey. We cannot replace you with another person.
The information you provide is confidential. The CDC is required by law to protect your information. We are
not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could identify you or your household.
Get started now by completing the enclosed paper questionnaire and returning it in the postage-paid return
envelope provided.
If you need help or have any questions, please email us at nhis@census.gov or call 1-800-618-5888.
To learn more about the National Health Interview Survey, see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm.
Sincerely,

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

NHIS-113(L) (09-08-2025)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY (NHIS)
1. WHY IS MY PARTICIPATION IMPORTANT?
Only you know exactly how much your health impacts your life. Others in your household have different
health needs than you and if we don’t collect the information directly from you, our data would not be as
accurate.
2. I AM NOT SICK – WHY SHOULD I TAKE PART IN A HEALTH SURVEY?
This is a survey of the nations’ 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.
3. CAN I COMPLETE THE SURVEY ONLINE?
Currently, there is no online option for the National Health Interview Survey.
4. WHO WILL SEE MY ANSWERS?
We take your privacy seriously. As required by federal law, your identity can be seen only by those
National Center for Health Statistics employees and specially designated agents, like U.S. Census
Bureau employees, who need that information for a specific reason. No one else can see your answer
until the information that could identify you and/or your household has been removed.
The National Center for Health Statistics 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.hhs.gov/foia/privacy/sorns/09200164/index.html
5. WHAT LAWS PROTECT MY PRIVACY?
Congress authorizes the National Health Interview Survey data collection in Section 306 of the Public
Health Services 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 Services Act (42 U.S.C. 242m(d)); the Confidential Information
Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act or CIPSEA (44 U.S.C. 3561-3583); 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 willingly 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, the National Center for Health Statistics 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.
6. WHO PROTECTS THE INTERESTS OF SURVEY PARTICIPANTS?
The Ethics Review Board (ERB) of the National Center for Health Statistics 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 #2024-02. Your
call will be returned promptly.

NHIS-113(L) (09-08-2025)