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The proposed redesign of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) does not remove all disability questions. The August 2026 adult draft retains questions about six functional areas, including seeing, hearing, mobility, cognition, self-care and communication. But STAT reports that the proposal drops some disability-related detail, including questions about hearing aids, fatigue and mobility supports. The redesign is still under review; written comments are due October 20, 2026.
What CDC is proposing—and why
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), part of CDC, is proposing new adult and child NHIS questionnaires for 2028. NHIS is a U.S. household health survey that CDC says has collected and analyzed national health data since 1957. Its previous major redesign took effect in 2019.
CDC says the proposal is intended to improve measurement of current health topics and reduce respondent burden with shorter, less complex questionnaires. The agency also cites rising collection costs and difficulty reaching households. The proposed collection design uses sequential mixed modes, including self-response options. STAT reported that roughly 25,000 households are expected to receive a mailed questionnaire, but CDC’s redesign page does not state that figure.
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Which disability questions remain in the adult draft?
The public August 2026 adult draft still asks about difficulty in six functional domains. It also includes questions about errands, social participation, work limitations and missed work due to illness, injury or disability.
| Area | What the draft covers |
|---|---|
| Seeing | Difficulty seeing |
| Hearing | Difficulty hearing |
| Mobility | Difficulty walking or climbing steps |
| Cognition | Difficulty remembering or concentrating |
| Self-care | Difficulty with self-care |
| Communication | Difficulty communicating |
| Context and participation | Questions about errands, social participation, work limitations and missed work due to illness, injury or disability |
The draft’s wording can be reviewed in the August 2026 adult questionnaire. The table describes subjects retained in that draft; it does not establish that their wording, response options or resulting measures will match earlier years.
What disability-related detail is reportedly being removed?
STAT’s October 1, 2026 report says the proposal removes some questions about hearing aids, fatigue, cognition and mobility supports such as wheelchairs and scooters. The distinction matters: the draft retains broad functioning questions, while some questions about symptoms, equipment and other disability-related detail are reportedly absent. It would be inaccurate to say that the proposal erases all disability measurement.
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STAT also reported that the proposed adult questionnaire is reduced from 482 questions to 150. That comparison is STAT’s reporting, not a figure stated on CDC’s redesign page.
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How CDC currently classifies disability in NHIS data
CDC’s current adult disability composite uses six functioning domains: seeing, hearing, mobility, communication, cognition and self-care. For each, the response choices are no difficulty, some difficulty, a lot of difficulty and cannot do at all. Under the current composite, a respondent is classified as having a disability if they report “a lot of difficulty” or “cannot do at all” in at least one domain.
This is a functional measure, not a complete count of diagnoses, support needs or every form of disability. A draft may retain questions covering the same broad domains without preserving the current composite: exact wording, response choices and classification rules all affect whether estimates can be compared. The available draft and CDC description do not establish that the 2028 instrument will use the same analytic measure.
Why advocates are concerned about undercounting
Advocates and researchers quoted by STAT warn that removing questions could make some people with disabilities—particularly people with intellectual and developmental disabilities—harder to identify in survey data. The Arc CEO Katy Neas said the survey has historically undercounted people with disabilities and called the changes a “head-scratcher,” as STAT reported. Syracuse University sociology professor Scott Landes said, “You’re making us choose between bad and worse.” These are stakeholder concerns, not CDC findings about the effect of the proposal.
The reviewed sources do not quantify how the redesign would change disability estimates, identify any expected change for a particular subgroup, or report field-test results. Nor do they establish whether response rates or trend continuity will improve or worsen under the proposed modes. The effect on estimates remains unknown while the final questionnaire and collection approach are under review.
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How to comment on the proposal
CDC’s public comment deadline is October 20, 2026. The NCHS redesign page describes the proposal and comment process. Readers reviewing the changes can focus on whether the questions capture functioning and support needs adequately, whether the response options preserve useful comparisons over time, and how the new collection modes may affect who participates.
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