[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