[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 212 (Friday, November 1, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58718-58719]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23872]
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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.''
This proposed information collection was previously published in
the Federal Register on August 8, 2019, and allowed 60 days for public
comment. AHRQ received no comments from members of the public. The
purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public
comment.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by 30 days after date
of publication.
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).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ Reports
Clearance Officer, (301) 427-1477, or by email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey--Insurance Component
Employer-sponsored health insurance is the source of coverage for
84.4 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.
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 cost and use of health care
services and with respect to health statistics and surveys. 42 U.S.C.
299a(a)(3) and (8); 42 U.S.C. 299b-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. Information
such as total active enrollment in health insurance, other employee
benefits, demographic
[[Page 58719]]
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.
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
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the
respondents' time to participate in the MEPS-IC. The Prescreener
questionnaire will be completed by 29,931 respondents and takes about 5
minutes to complete. The Establishment questionnaire will be completed
by 25,819 respondents and takes about 23 minutes to complete. The Plan
questionnaire will be completed by 22,859 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 21,611 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 $705,599.
Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours for the 2020-2021 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....................... 29,931 1 5/60 2,494
Establishment Questionnaire..................... 25,819 1 * 23/60 9,897
Plan Questionnaire.............................. 22,859 2.2 11/60 9,220
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Total....................................... 78,609 na na 21,611
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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 and two plan questionnaires (on average, each
establishment completes 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 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden for the 2020-2021 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....................... 29,931 2,494 32.65 $81,429
Establishment Questionnaire..................... 25,819 9,897 32.65 323,137
Plan Questionnaire.............................. 22,859 9,220 32.65 301,033
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Total....................................... 78,609 21,611 na 705,599
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* Based upon the mean hourly wage for Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists occupation code 13-
1141, at https://www.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, 44 U.S.C. 3501-
3521, 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 health care 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 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: October 28, 2019.
Virginia L. Mackay-Smith,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 2019-23872 Filed 10-31-19; 8:45 am]
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