[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 179 (Thursday, September 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57048-57050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23539]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the intention of the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request that the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approve the proposed information collection
project: ``Medical Expenditure Panel Survey--Insurance Component 2012-
2013.'' In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-
3521, AHRQ invites the public to comment on this proposed information
collection.
This proposed information collection was previously published in
the Federal Register on June 30th, 2011 and allowed 60 days for public
comment. No comments were received. The purpose of this notice is to
allow an additional 30 days for public comment.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by October 17, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: AHRQ's OMB Desk
Officer by fax at (202) 395-6974 (attention: AHRQ's desk officer) or by
e-mail at [email protected] (attention: AHRQ's desk
officer).
Copies of the proposed collection plans, data collection
instruments, and specific details on the estimated burden can be
obtained from the AHRQ Reports Clearance Officer.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ Reports
Clearance Officer, (301) 427-1477, or by e-mail at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey--Insurance Component 2012-2013
Employer-sponsored health insurance is the source of coverage for
85 million current and former workers, plus many of their family
members, and is a cornerstone of the U.S. health care system. The
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey--Insurance Component (MEPS-IC)
measures the extent, cost, and coverage of employer-sponsored health
insurance on an annual basis. These statistics are produced at the
National, State, and sub-State (metropolitan area) level for private
industry. Statistics are also produced for State and Local governments.
This research has the following goals:
(1) To provide data for Federal policymakers evaluating the effects
of National and State health care reforms;
(2) to provide descriptive data on the current employer-sponsored
health insurance system and data for modeling the differential impacts
of proposed health policy initiatives; and
(3) to supply critical State and National estimates of health
insurance spending for the National Health Accounts and Gross Domestic
Product.
This study is being conducted by AHRQ through an interagency
agreement with the U.S. Census Bureau and pursuant to AHRQ's statutory
authority to conduct surveys to collect data on the cost, use and
quality of health care, including the types and costs of private health
insurance. 42 U.S.C. 299b-2(a).
Method of Collection
To achieve the goals of this project the following data collections
for both private sector and state and local government employers will
be implemented:
(1) Prescreener Questionnaire--The purpose of the Prescreener
Questionnaire, which is collected via telephone, varies depending on
the insurance status of the establishment contacted. (Establishment is
defined as a single, physical location in the private sector and a
governmental unit in state and local governments.) For establishments
that do not offer health insurance to their employees, the prescreener
is used to collect basic information such as number of employees.
Collection is completed for these establishments through this telephone
call. For establishments that do offer health insurance, contact name
and address information is collected that is used for the mailout of
the establishment and plan questionnaires. Obtaining this contact
information helps ensure that the questionnaires are directed to the
person in the establishment best equipped to complete them.
[[Page 57049]]
(2) Establishment Questionnaire--The purpose of the mailed
Establishment Questionnaire is to obtain general information from
employers that provide health insurance to their employees. Information
such as total active enrollment in health insurance, other employee
benefits, waiting periods, and retiree health insurance is collected
through the establishment questionnaire.
(3) Plan Questionnaire--The purpose of the mailed Plan
Questionnaire is to collect plan-specific information on each plan (up
to four plans) offered by establishments that provide health insurance
to their employees. This questionnaire obtains information on total
premiums, employer and employee contributions to the premium, and plan
enrollment for each type of coverage offered--single, employee-plus-
one, and family--within a plan. It also asks for information on
deductibles, copays, and other plan characteristics. This information
is needed in order to provide the tools for Federal, State, and
academic researchers to evaluate current and proposed health policies
and to support the production of important statistical measures for
other Federal agencies.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the
respondent's time to provide the requested data. The Prescreener
questionnaire will be completed by 31,552 respondents and takes about 5
\1/2\ minutes to complete. The Establishment questionnaire will be
completed by 25,839 respondents and takes about 23 minutes to complete.
The Plan questionnaire will be completed by 23,230 respondents and will
require an average of 2.1 responses per respondent. Each Plan
questionnaire takes about 11 minutes to complete. The total annualized
burden hours are estimated to be 21,440 hours.
Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden associated
with the respondents' time to participate in this data collection. The
annualized cost burden is estimated to be $614,256.
Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of
Form name Number of responses per Hours per Total burden
respondents respondent response hours
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Prescreener Questionnaire....................... 31,552 1 0.09 2,840
Establishment Questionnaire..................... 25,839 1 0.38 9,819
Plan Questionnaire.............................. 23,230 2.1 0.18 8,781
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Total....................................... 80,621 na na 21,440
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Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden
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Number of Total burden Average hourly Total cost
Form name respondents hours wage rate* burden
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Prescreener Questionnaire....................... 31,552 2,840 28.65 $81,366
Establishment Questionnaire..................... 25,839 9,819 28.65 281,314
Plan Questionnaire.............................. 23,230 8,781 28.65 251,576
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Total....................................... 80,621 21,440 na 614,256
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*Based upon the mean hourly wage for Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists occupation code--1141,
at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#13-0000 (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.)
Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal Government
Exhibit 3 shows the estimated annualized cost of this data
collection. The total cost over the 2 years of this clearance is
$22,954,000.
Exhibit 3--Estimated Total and Annualized Cost
[$ thousands]
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Annualized
Cost component Total cost cost
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Project Development..................... $3,338 $1,669
Data Collection Activities.............. 7,789 3,895
Data Processing and Analysis............ 7,789 3,895
Project Management...................... 2,925 1,463
Overhead................................ 1,113 557
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Total............................... 22,954 11,477
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Note: Components may not sum to Total due to rounding.
Request for Comments
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, comments on AHRQ's
information collection are requested with regard to any of the
following: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of AHRQ healthcare research and
healthcare information
[[Page 57050]]
dissemination functions, including whether the information will have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of AHRQ's estimate of burden
(including hours and costs) of the proposed collection(s) of
information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of
the collection of information upon the respondents, including the use
of automated collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and included in the Agency's subsequent request for OMB approval of the
proposed information collection. All comments will become a matter of
public record.
Dated: Aug 31 2011.
Carolyn M. Cancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-23539 Filed 9-14-11; 8:45 am]
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