Final Data Collection Standards for Race, Ethnicity, Primary Language, Sex, and Disability Status Required by Section 4302 of the Affordable Care Act

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Oct. 31, 2011, published the final standards for data collection on race, ethnicity, sex, primary language and disability status, as required by Section 4302 of the Affordable Care Act (pdf). 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).

The standards apply to population health surveys sponsored by HHS, where respondents either self-report information or a knowledgeable person responds for all members of a household. HHS will begin implementation of these new data standards in all new surveys and at the time of major revisions to current surveys.