[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 207 (Thursday, October 24, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 55153]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27279]



[[Page 55153]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; 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 reinstate two expired information collection projects 
as one: Formerly the 1987 Health Insurance Plans Survey (HIPS) and the 
1994 National Employer Health Insurance Survey (NEHIS), now to be 
combined in the 1997 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey--Insurance 
Component (MEPS-IC). In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D)), AHCPR invites the 
public to comment on this reinstatement.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 25, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Written comments for the proposed information collection 
should be submitted within 30 working days of this notice directly 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, 
D.C. 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

    Pretest for the 1997 Medical Expenditure Survey--Insurance 
Component (MEPS-IC).
    AHCPR intends to conduct a survey of establishments in 1997 to 
collect information from employers concerning employer-sponsored health 
insurance. This survey will be an integration of two previous surveys, 
now components of MEPS-IC. The two surveys which collected similar 
information are:
    1. The 1987 Health Insurance Plans Survey (HIPS) sponsored by 
AHCPR's predecessor, the National Center for Health Services Research; 
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).
    Due to the integration of these two previous survey operations into 
the MEPS-IC, AHCPR is updating the questionnaire and data collection 
methodology. A data collection pretest is being proposed using a sample 
of potential respondents. Based upon the results of this test, the 
AHCPR will develop and refine the final methodology for the 1997 MEPS-
IC.

Burden Estimates Follow:

    Number of Respondents: 350.
    Number of Surveys per Respondent: 1.
    Average Burden/Respondent: .75 Hours.
    Estimated Total Burden: 263 Hours.
    Copies of these data collection plans and instruments can be 
obtained from the AHCPR Reports Clearance Officer (see above).

    Dated: October 17, 1996.
Clifton R. Gaus,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 96-27279 Filed 10-23-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M