Feds Consider Axing Birth Control Queries from Health Poll
Published Date: 3/31/2026
Notice
Summary
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality wants to update its big health survey, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). They’re asking for your thoughts on removing some questions about birth control and gender identity, while considering new sleep questions for the future. If you have opinions, you’ve got until April 30, 2026, to speak up—this could affect how health data is collected and used, with some cost and content changes.
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 4 costs, 0 mixed.
New Sleep, Diet, Exercise Questions Added
The PSAQ will add questions about use of sleep medication, trouble getting to sleep, screen time, use of wearable devices, self-assessed diet quality, fruit and vegetable consumption, meals eaten away from home, former smoking, and weight loss attempts; two exercise items will be replaced with five new exercise and strength-training items. The PSAQ will also revert to the 2022 question about respondent sex.
ESAQ and Diabetes Care Supplement Discontinued
AHRQ will discontinue the Burdens and Economic Impacts of Medical Care Self-Administered Questionnaire (ESAQ) and the Diabetes Care Supplement (DCS). The ESAQ was a one-time externally funded supplement and will be released as planned; the DCS is proposed for removal due to cost, outdated content, and data quality concerns.
Survey Time Burden and $3.11M Annual Cost Valuation
MEPS estimates total annual respondent burden of 50,264 hours and an annualized cost burden of $3,108,705 for MEPS-HC and MEPS-MPC combined. Examples: the MEPS-HC core interview averages 87 minutes (10,350 family-level respondents), the Adult SAQ and PSAQ average 7 minutes each, and provider contacts include 36,370 screening calls at 5 minutes each.
Sexual Orientation & Gender Questions Removed
AHRQ removed questions on sexual orientation and gender identity from the MEPS Preventive Care Self-Administered Questionnaire pursuant to Executive Order 14168. This change is part of the proposed Fall 2026 survey revisions and means MEPS will no longer collect those items as part of this questionnaire.
Birth Control Counseling Question Dropped
AHRQ proposes removing the PSAQ question about birth control counseling due to space constraints and other priorities as part of the Fall 2026 MEPS revisions. If removed, MEPS will no longer collect that birth control counseling item on the PSAQ.
Minor Language Changes to Improve Questions
AHRQ proposes minor wording changes to 24 MEPS core interview questions to make them clearer and improve response rates; these revisions are slated to be implemented in the Fall 2026 fielding.
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