NCHS has linked data from various surveys with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) data obtained from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS). Linkage of the data from NCHS survey participants with the USRDS ESRD data provides the opportunity to study changes in health status and health care utilization among patients diagnosed with ESRD.

NCHS has linked 1999-2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and 1999-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to administrative data through 2019 for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) largest housing assistance programs: the Housing Choice Voucher program, public housing, and privately owned, subsidized multifamily housing. Linkage of NCHS survey participants with HUD administrative records provides the opportunity to examine relationships between housing and health.

NCHS has linked data from various surveys with Medicare program enrollment and health care utilization and expenditure data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Linkage of the NCHS survey participants with the CMS Medicare data provides the opportunity to study changes in health status, health care utilization and costs, and prescription drug use among Medicare enrollees. Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease.

NCHS has linked various surveys with the Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX) files collected from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Linkage of the NCHS survey participants with the CMS Medicaid MAX data provides the opportunity to study changes in health status, health care utilization and expenditures in low-income families with children and the elderly U.S. populations.

NCHS has linked data from various surveys with death certificate records from the National Death Index (NDI). Linkage of the NCHS survey participant data with the NDI mortality data provides the opportunity to conduct a vast array of outcome studies designed to investigate the association of a wide variety of health factors with mortality. The Linked Mortality Files (LMF) have been updated with mortality follow-up data through December 31, 2019.

NCHS has linked various surveys with Medicaid enrollment and claims records collected from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS). Linkage of the NCHS survey participants with the CMS T-MSIS data creates a new data resource that can support research studies focused on a wide range of patient health outcomes and the association of means-tested government insurance programs on health and health outcomes.

NCHS has linked 2005-2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and 2005-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administrative data through fiscal year 2020. Linkage of NCHS survey participants with VA administrative data provides the opportunity to examine a wide range of health-related topics for Veterans, including Veteran status and utilization of VA benefit programs.

NCHS has linked data from various surveys with death certificate records from the National Death Index (NDI). Linkage of the NCHS survey participant data with the NDI mortality data provides the opportunity to conduct a vast array of outcome studies designed to investigate the association of a wide variety of health factors with mortality. The Linked Mortality Files (LMF) have been updated with mortality follow-up data through December 31, 2019.

Public-use Linked Mortality Files (LMF) are available for 1986-2018 NHIS, 1999-2018 NHANES, and NHANES III. The files include a limited set of mortality variables for adult participants only. The public-use versions of the NCHS Linked Mortality Files were subjected to data perturbation techniques to reduce the risk of participant re-identification. For select records, synthetic data were substituted for follow-up time or underlying cause of death. Information regarding vital status was not perturbed.