The HRS offers financial payments as tokens of appreciation to respondents for participating in various aspects of the study. These are not intended as compensation. For all regular study components for all enrolled participants these payments are typically made by check to the individual in advance letters notifying them that they will soon be asked to participate. The main exception is baseline interviews for new participants, for whom we do not have information to draft checks in advance. Baseline interviews are compensated in cash at the time of the interview.
The schedule of payments since 2016 is:
| Activity | Payment |
|---|---|
| Baseline core interview | $100 |
| Core panel interview | $80 |
| Leavebehind after core | $20 |
| Mail surveys | $25 |
| In-home venous phlebotomy | $50 |