[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 2, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53154-53157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21719]
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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) reapprove the proposed information
collection project: ``Medical Expenditure Panel Survey--Insurance
Component.'' 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 11th, 2015 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 2, 2015.
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
email 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 email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 53155]]
Proposed Project
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey--Insurance Component
Employer-sponsored health insurance is the source of coverage for
79.3 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.
(3) to supply critical State and National estimates of health
insurance spending for the National Health Accounts and Gross Domestic
Product.
(4) to support evaluation of the impact of the PPACA on health
insurance offered by all employers, and especially by small employers
(due to the implementation of Small Business Health Options Program
(SHOP) exchanges under the PPACA), through the addition of a
longitudinal component to the sample.
This study is being conducted by AHRQ through the Bureau of the
Census, pursuant to AHRQ's statutory authority to conduct and support
research on healthcare and on systems for the delivery of such care,
including activities with respect to the quality, effectiveness,
efficiency, appropriateness and value of health care services and with
respect to quality measurement and improvement. 42 U.S.C. 299a(a)(1)
and (2).
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.
(2) Establishment Questionnaire--The purpose of the mailed
Establishment Questionnaire is to obtain general information from
employers that provide health insurance to their employees. This
information includes total active enrollment in health insurance, other
employee benefits, demographic characteristics of employees, 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.
(4) 2016-2017 Longitudinal Sample--For 2016 and 2017, an additional
sample of 7,000 employers will be included in the collection. The
sample will include employers of all sizes, however 50 percent of the
sample will be small employers (those with 50 or fewer employees). This
sample, called the Longitudinal Sample (LS), is designed to measure the
impact of the ACA on employer sponsored health insurance and especially
the impact of the SHOP exchanges on small employers. The 2016 LS will
consist of 7,000 private-sector employers that responded to the 2015
MEPS-IC, and the 2017 LS will consist of 7,000 private-sector employers
that responded to the 2016 MEPS-IC. These employers will be surveyed
again in 2016 and 2017--using the same collection methods as the
regular survey--in order to track changes in their health insurance
offerings, characteristics, and costs.
The primary objective of the MEPS-IC is to collect information on
employer-sponsored health insurance. Such 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
The estimated annualized respondent burden hours and costs for the
regular MEPS-IC and the Longitudinal Sample are presented separately
below.
2016-2017 Regular MEPS-IC
Exhibit 1a shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the
respondent's time to participate in the MEPS-IC. The Prescreener
questionnaire will be completed by 27,606 respondents and takes about
5\1/2\ minutes to complete. The Establishment questionnaire will be
completed by 23,814 respondents and takes about 23 minutes to complete.
The Plan questionnaire will be completed by 21,084 respondents and will
require an average of 2.2 responses per respondent. Each Plan
questionnaire takes about 11 minutes to complete. The total annualized
burden hours are estimated to be 19,883 hours.
Exhibit 2a 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 $615,380.
Exhibit 1a--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours for the 2016-2017 MEPS-IC
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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........................ 27,606 1 0.09 2,485
Establishment Questionnaire...................... 23,814 1 * 0.38 9,049
[[Page 53156]]
Plan Questionnaire............................... 21,084 2.2 0.18 8,349
--------------------------------------------------------------
Total........................................ 72,504 na na 19,883
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* The burden estimate printed on the establishment questionnaire is 45 minutes which includes the burden
estimate for completing the establishment questionnaire, an average of 2.2 plan questionnaires, plus the
prescreener. The establishment and plan questionnaires are sent to the respondent as a package and are
completed by the respondent at the same time.
Exhibit 2a--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden for the 2016-2017 MEPS-IC
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Average
Form name Number of Total burden hourly wage Total cost
respondents hours rate * burden
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Prescreener Questionnaire....................... 27,606 2,485 30.95 $76,911
Establishment Questionnaire..................... 23,814 9,049 30.95 280,067
Plan Questionnaire.............................. 21,084 8,349 30.95 258,402
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total....................................... 72,504 19,883 na 615,380
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* Based upon the mean hourly wage for Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists occupation code 13-
1141, at http://bls.gov/oes/current/oes131141.htm (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.)
2016-2017 Longitudinal Sample
Exhibit 1b shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the
respondent's time to participate in the Longitudinal Sample. The
Prescreener questionnaire will be completed by 4,517 respondents and
takes about 5\1/2\ minutes to complete. The Establishment questionnaire
will be completed by 4,023 respondents and takes about 23 minutes to
complete. The Plan questionnaire will be completed by 3,487 respondents
and will require an average of 2.2 responses per respondent. Each Plan
questionnaire takes about 11 minutes to complete. The total annualized
burden hours are estimated to be 3,317 hours.
Exhibit 2b 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 $102,662.
Exhibit 1b--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours for the 2016-2017 Longitudinal Sample
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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........................ 4,517 1 0.09 407
Establishment Questionnaire...................... 4,023 1 * 0.38 1,529
Plan Questionnaire............................... 3,487 2.2 0.18 1,381
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Total........................................ 12,027 na na 3,317
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* The burden estimate printed on the establishment questionnaire is 45 minutes which includes the burden
estimate for completing the establishment questionnaire, an average of 2.2 plan questionnaires, plus the
prescreener. The establishment and plan questionnaires are sent to the respondent as a package and are
completed by the respondent at the same time.
Exhibit 2b--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden for the 2016-2017 Longitudinal Sample
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average
Form name Number of Total burden hourly wage Total cost
respondents hours rate * burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prescreener Questionnaire....................... 4,517 407 $30.95 $12,597
Establishment Questionnaire..................... 4,023 1,529 30.95 47,323
Plan Questionnaire.............................. 3,487 1,381 30.95 42,742
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total....................................... 12,027 3,317 na 102,662
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*Based upon the mean hourly wage for Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists occupation code 13-
1141, at http://bls.gov/oes/current/oes131141.htm (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.)
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 health care research and
information 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
[[Page 53157]]
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
(d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
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.
Sharon Arnold,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 2015-21719 Filed 9-1-15; 8:45 am]
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