HHS NEWS

Submitted by ub on

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced proposed changes in their collection and reporting of data on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders (AAs and NHPIs) and other minority communities.

The new draft standards for collecting and reporting on race, ethnicity, sex, primary language and disability status will add seven Asian subgroups (Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean and other Asian) and four Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander subgroups (Native Hawaiian, Guamanian or Chamorro, Samoan and other Pacific Islander). The addition of these ethnic subgroups will reflect what is already being used in the American Community Survey (ACS) and in the 2000 and 2010 Decennial Census.

HHS is seeking public comments on draft standards for data collection on race, ethnicity, sex, primary language and disability status, as required by Section 4302 of the Affordable Care Act [PDF | 1.6 MB].

The law requires that data collection standards for these measures be used, to the extent practicable, in all national population health surveys. They will apply to self-reported information only. The law also requires any data standards published by HHS comply with standards created by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Full details, including the draft standards and a Federal Register notice, are available at www.regulations.gov under docket number HHS-OMH-2011-0013.

Public comments will be accepted until August 1, 2011