[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77881-77882]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31671]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the intention of the Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) to allow a proposed information collection 
project: ``Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-
HC)-2001 through 2004''. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), AHRQ invites the 
public to comment on this proposed information collection.
    This proposed information collection was previously published in 
the Federal Register on October 3, 2000 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 January 12, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: 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, DC 20503.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and included in the request for OMB approval of the proposed 
information collection. All comments will become a matter of public 
record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia D. McMichael, AHRQ Reports 
Clearance Officer, (301) 594-3132.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Proposed Project: ``Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household 
Component (MEPS-HC)-2001 through 2004''.
    The AHRQ intends 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 
panel of MEPS began in 1996 and has continued annually thereafter. The 
MEPS-HC is jointly sponsored by the AHRQ 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. The NHIS is used as the sampling frame for the MEPS and several 
other surveys as part of efforts by the Department of Health and Human 
Services (HHS) to integrate survey data collection activities.
    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, quality of care received, medications, employment and 
health insurance.
    In accordance with AHRQ and NCHS confidentiality statutes, 
statistical and nonidentifying 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 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, health care quality, prescription drug use, 
and other health issues.
    Statisticians and researchers will use these data to make important 
generalizations on the civilian non-institutionalized 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 AHRQ 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 AHRQ will then conduct five 
(in-person) interviews with each household to obtain health care use 
and expense data. Data will be collected using a computer-assisted 
personal interviewing method (CAPI). In certain cases, AHRQ will 
conduct interviews over the telephone, if necessary. Burden estimates 
follow:
    Estimated Annual Respondent Burden Per Year: Each MEPS participant 
is asked to complete 5 interviews over two and one half years. Each 
interview averages 1.8 hours in length. Total burden is estimated in 
the following chart:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 Burden per     Total
          Survey period             Number of     complete      burden
                                    completes     (hours)      (hours)
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Feb-July 2001....................       19,380          1.8       34,884
Aug-Dec 2001.....................       13,280          1.8       23,904
Feb-July 2002....................       21,248          1.8       38,246
Aug-Dec 2002.....................       16,239          1.8       29,230
Feb-July 2003....................       24,187          1.8       43,537
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      Total......................  ...........  ...........      148,291
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[[Page 77882]]

    Dated: December 6, 2000.
John M. Eisenberg,
Director.
[FR Doc. 00-31671 Filed 12-12-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M