[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 189 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50826-50827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-24805]
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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 the Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research's (AHCPR) intention to request the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) to allow a proposed information collection project. 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.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 27, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Ruth A. Celtnieks,
Reports Clearance Officer, AHCPR, 2101 East Jefferson Street, Suite
500, Rockville, MD 20852-4908.
All comments will become a matter of public record. Comments
submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and included in
the request for OMB approval of the proposed information collection
reinstatement.
In accordance with the above cited legislation, comments on the
AHCPR information collection proposal are requested with regard to any
of the following: (a) whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of functions of the Agency,
including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the
accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ruth A. Celtnieks, AHCPR Reports
Clearance Officer, (301) 594-1406, ext. 1497.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
Conducting the 1997 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Insurance
Component (MEPS-IC).
The AHCPR intends to conduct an annual survey of establishments
beginning in 1997 to collect information from employers concerning
employer-sponsored health insurance. The MEPS-IC survey will be an
integration of two previous surveys that collected similar information:
1. The 1987 Health Insurance Plans Survey (HIPS) sponsored by
AHCPR; and
2. The 1994 National Employer Health Insurance Survey (NEHIS)
sponsored by AHCPR, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
and the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA).
This survey will be conducted using a sample of employers,
(including both public and private sectors) and health insurance
providers. The sample will be comprised of two parts:
1. A list sample of employers selected from sample frames available
from the Bureau of the Census; and
2. A group of employers and other health insurance providers
identified by respondents to the 1996 MEPS-Household Component (HC).
The MEPS-HC is a household survey which collects information concerning
health care expenditures and related data for individuals. This
household survey collects information similar to the 1987 National
Medical Expenditure Survey.
Data to be collected from each employer include a description of
the business (e.g., size, industry) and descriptions of health
insurance plans available, plan enrollments, total plan costs and costs
to employees.
For employers that can be matched to the MEPS-Household Component
(HC) respondents, data are also collected indicating the actual plan
selected by the MEPS-HC respondent and the plan costs.
Data will be produced in two forms: (1) files containing employer
information only from the list sample of selected employers; and (2)
files which can be linked to other information from the same respondent
for the employer cases derived from the MEPS-HC.
The data are intended to be used for purposes such as:
Generating national and State estimates of employer health
care offerings;
Producing aggregate data on national and State estimates
of spending on employer-sponsored health insurance for analyzing
results of national and State health care policy data to model the
demand for health insurance; and
When pooled with data from the MEPS-HC, providing a
valuable source of information concerning household responses regarding
choices of health plans and costs and benefits of these plans.
These data provide the basis for researchers to address vitally
important questions for employers and policymakers alike.
Method of Collection
The data will be collected using a combination of modes. AHCPR
intends to make a first contact of employers by telephone. This contact
will provide information on the availability of health insurance from
that employer and essential persons to contact. Based upon this
information, AHCPR will send a mail questionnaire. In order to assure
high response rates, AHCPR will followup with a second mailing at an
acceptable interval, followed by a telephone call to collect data from
those who have not responded to the mailings.
As part of this process, for larger respondents with high burdens,
such as State employers and very large firms, we will, if needed,
perform personal visits and do customized collection, such as,
acceptance of data in computerized formats.
Data
Type of review: Regular Submission.
Affected Public: Employers.
[[Page 50827]]
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 38,500.
Estimated Time Per Respondent: .83.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 32,000.
Estimated Annual Total Costs to Government: $5,700,000.
Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) the necessity of the proposed
collection; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of burden
(including hours and cost) 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 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/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information
collection and they will also become a matter of public record.
Copies of these proposed collection plans and instruments can be
obtained from the AHCPR Reports Clearance Officer (see above).
Dated: September 23, 1996.
Clifton R. Gaus,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 96-24805 Filed 9-26-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M
