[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 219 (Thursday, November 13, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60900-60901]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-29837]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
AGENCY: Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Agency for Health Care Policy
and Research (AHCPR) is planning to request the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) to allow a proposed information collection of the
``Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC)--
Panels 3 and 4.'' In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), AHCPR invites the
public to comment on this proposed information collection.
This proposed information collection was previously published in
the Federal Register on September 8, 1997 and allowed 60 days for
public comment. No public 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 December 15, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to the OMB Desk Officer
at the following address: Allison Eydt, Human Resources and Housing
Branch, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB; New
Executive Office Building, Room 10235; Washington, 20503.
All comments will become a matter of public record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ruth A. Celtnieks, AHCPR Reports Clearance Officer, (301) 594-1406,
ext. 1497.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
``Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC)--
Panels 3 and 4.''
The AHCPR is planning to conduct an annual panel survey of U.S.
households to collect information on a variety of measures related to
health status, health insurance coverage, health care use and
expenditures, and sources of payment for health services. Each panel
consists of a nationally representative sample of U.S. households who
remain in MEPS for two consecutive years of data collection. The first
two panels of MEPS began in 1996 and 1997. Panels 3 and 4 of the MEPS-
HC begin in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The MEPS-HC is jointly
sponsored by the AHCPR and the National Center for Health Statistics
(NCHS). It will be conducted using a sample of households selected from
households which responded to the National Health Interview Survey
(NHIS) sponsored by NCHS. The NHIS is a household survey which collects
health related data from approximately 50,000 households and 110,000
people. Due to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
efforts to integrate survey data collection activities, the NHIS is
used as the sampling frame for the MEPS and several other surveys.
Data to be collected from each household include detailed
information on demographics, health conditions, current health status,
utilization of health care providers, charges and payments for health
care services, medications, employment, and health insurance. Subject
to AHCPR and NCHS confidentiality statutes, data will be made available
through publications, articles in major journals as well as public use
data files. The data are intended to be used for purposes such as:
Generating national estimates of individual and family
health care use and expenditures, private and public health insurance
coverage, and the
[[Page 60901]]
availability, costs, and scope of private health insurance benefits
among Americans;
Examining the effects of changes in how chronic care and
disability are managed and financed;
Evaluating the growing impact of managed care and of
enrollment in different types of managed care plans; and
Examining access to and costs of health care for common
diseases and conditions, prescription drug use, and other health
issues.
Statisticians and researchers will use these data to make important
generalizations on the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the
United States, as well as to conduct research in which the family is
the unit of analysis.
Method of Collection
The data will be collected using a combination of modes. For
example, the AHCPR intends to introduce study participants to the
survey through advance mailings. The first contact will provide the
household with information regarding the importance and uses of the
information obtained. The AHCPR will then conduct five (in-person)
interviews with each household to obtain health care use and expense
data. Lastly, the AHCPR will conduct one telephone interview with each
household to obtain tax and asset information. Data will be collected
using a computer-assisted personal interviewing method (CAPI). In
certain cases, AHCPR will conduct interviews over the telephone, if
necessary. Burden estimates follow:
Initial Number of Respondents: 10,000.
Panel 3: 4800.
Panel 4: 5200.
Number of Surveys Per Respondent: 6.
Average Burden Per Respondent: 9.0 hours.
Estimated Burden Total: 81,100 hours.
Panel 3: 39,050 hours.
Panel 4: 42,050 hours.
Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) the necessity of the proposed
collection; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of burden of the
proposed collection 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 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/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information
collection.
Copies of these proposed collection plans and instruments can be
obtained from the AHCPR Reports Clearance Officer (see above).
Dated: November 4, 1997.
John M. Eisenberg,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 97-29837 Filed 11-12-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M
