[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11910-11911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5951]


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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 of the 
``Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Medical Provider Component (MEPS-
MPC) for 1998, 1999, and 2000.'' 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 May 10, 1999.

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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ruth A. Celtnieks, AHCPR Reports 
Clearance Officer, (301) 594-6659.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Proposed Project; Medical Panel Expenditure Survey--Medical 
Provider Component (MEPS-MPC) for 1998 and 1999 and 2000

    The MEPS-MPC is a survey of hospitals, physicians and other medical 
providers. The purpose of this survey is to supplement and verify the 
information provided by household respondents in the household 
component of the MEPS (MEPS-HC) about the use of medical services. With 
the permission of members of the households surveyed in the MEPS-HC, we 
plan to contact their medical providers to determine the actual dates 
of service, the diagnoses, the services provided, the amount that was 
charged, the amount that was paid and the source of payment. Thus, the 
MPC is derived from or is based upon the core survey, the MEPS-HC.
    The MEPS-HC to be conducted will provide annual, nationally 
representative estimates of health care use, expenditures, sources of 
payment and insurance coverage for the U.S. civilian non-
institutionalized population. MEPS is cosponsored by the Agency for 
Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) and the National Center For 
Health Statistics (NCHS).
    MEPS data confidentiality is protected under sections 308(d) and 
903(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242m and 42 U.S.C. 
299 a-1).
    Data from medical providers linked to household respondents in the 
MEPS-HC for calendar year 1998 will be collected beginning in 1999 and 
continuing into the year 2000, data for calendar year 1999 will be 
collected beginning in 2000 and continue into the year 2001. Data for 
calendar year 2000 will be collected beginning in 2001 and continue 
into the year 2002.

Method of Collection

    The medical provider survey will be conducted predominantly by 
telephone, but may include self-administered mail surveys, if requested 
by the respondent.
    The estimated annual hour burden is as follows;

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                                                              Average No. of  Average No. of
              Type of provider                    No. of         patients/        events/                Average burden/event             Total hours of
                                                respondents      providers        patient                                                     burden
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Hospital....................................            3500               2             3.2  5 min. (.083 hrs.)........................            1859
Office-based Doctor.........................            8500             1.3             3.5  5 min.....................................            3210
Separately Billing Doctor...................            8000               1             1.3  5 min.....................................             863
Home Health.................................             500             1.1             5.8  5 min.....................................             265
Pharmacy....................................            6000             1.8            10.3  3 min.....................................            5562
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[[Page 11911]]

    Estimated Annual Burden Total: 11759.

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 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.
    Copies of these proposed collection plans and instruments can be 
obtained from the AHCPR Reports Clearance Officer (see above).

    Dated: March 2, 1999.
John M. Eisenberg,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-5951 Filed 3-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M