[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 242 (Wednesday, December 17, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70269-70270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31197]


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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 that the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) allow the proposed information collection 
project: ``Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component and 
Medical Provider Component (MEPS-HC and MEPS-MPC)--2004 and 2005''. 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 16, 2003 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 16, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Allison Eydt, Human 
Resources and Housing Branch, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, OMB, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 
20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia D. McMichael, AHRQ, Reports 
Clearance Officer, (301) 427-1651.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Proposed Project

    ``Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component and Medical 
Provider Component (MEPS-HC and MPC)--2004 and 2005''.
    The AHRQ intends to conduct an annual panel survey of U.S. 
households and medical providers 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. 
This collection project consists of two parts: the MEPS Household 
Component (HC) and the MEPS Medical Provider component (MPC).
    Each panel of the MEPS-HC consists of a nationally representative 
sample of U.S. households with a data collection period covering 2\1/2\ 
years.
    This time frame allows for the collection of annual data from the 
MEPS sample that covers their health care experiences over two 
consecutive calendar years. The first panel of MEPS began in 1996 and a 
new panel has been initiated annually thereafter. The MEPS-HC is 
jointly sponsored by the AHRQ and the National Center for Health 
Statistics (NCHS).
    The MEPS-HC will be conducted using a sample of households selected 
from households which responded to the previous year's National Health 
Interview Survey (NHIS) sponsored by NCHS. The NHIS is a household 
survey which collects health data from approximately 50,000 households 
and 110,000 individuals. 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 (DHHS) 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.
    The purpose of the MEPS-MPC is to supplement the information 
provided by household respondents in the MEPS-HC about the use of 
medical services in the United States based on a nationally 
representative sample. The MEPS-MPC will be conducted with the 
permission of members of the households surveyed in the MEPS-HC. The 
AHRQ contractor will contact the medical providers of the HC Survey 
respondents to determine the actual dates of service, the diagnoses, 
the services provided, the amount that was charged, the amount that was 
paid and the sources of payment. Thus, the MPC is derived from or is 
based upon the survey, (MEPS-HC). The MPC confirms and/or improves the 
quality of the core survey data.
    Data from household respondents in the MEPS Household Component for 
calendar year 2004, will be collected, beginning in 2004, and 
continuing into the year 2005, data for calendar year 2005 will be 
collected, beginning in 2005, and continuing into the year 2006.
    Data from medical providers linked to household respondents in the 
MEPS Household Component for calendar year 2004, will be collected, 
beginning in 2005, and continuing into the year 2006, provider data for 
calendar year 2005 will be collected, beginning in 2006, and continuing 
into the year 2007.

Data Confidentiality Provisions

    MEPS data confidentiality is protected under the AHRQ and NCHS 
Confidentiality statutes, section 308(d) and section 924(c) of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242m(d) and 42 U.S.C. 299c-(c), 
respectively).
    In accordance with SHRQ and NCHS confidentiality statutes, 
statistical and non-identifying data will be made available through 
publications, articles in major journals as well as public use data 
files. The statistical and analytic data are intended to be used for 
purposes such as:
    [sbull] 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;
    [sbull] Examining the effects of changes in how chronic care and 
disability are managed and finances;
    [sbull] Evaluating the growing impact of managed care and of 
enrollment in different types of managed care plans; and,

[[Page 70270]]

    [sbull] 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 about the health care of civilian non-institutionalized 
population of the United States, as well as to conduct research in 
which the household is the unit of analysis.

Methods of Collection

    Data from the MEPS-HC 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 for 2 calendar years. Data will be collected using a computer-
assisted personal interviewing method (CAPI). In certain cases, AHRQ 
will conduct interviews over the telephone, if necessary respondents 
may be asked to respond to 1 or more short self-administered 
questionnaires over the course of the survey.
    The medical provider survey will be conducted predominantly by 
telephone, but may include self-administered mail surveys, if requested 
by the respondent.
    Estimated Annual Respondent Burden Per Year for the MEPS HC: Each 
MEPS participated 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:

                           MEPS Household Component Estimated Burden for 2004 and 2005
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                    Burden per
                          Survey period                              Number of       complete      Total burden
                                                                     completes        (hours)         (hours)
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Jan-Jul '04.....................................................          22,037             1.8          39,667
Aug-Dec '04.....................................................          14,746             1.8          26,543
Jan-Jul '05.....................................................          22,418             1.8          40,352
Aug-Dec '05.....................................................          15,003             1.8          27,005
Jan-Jul '06.....................................................          14,838             1.8          26,708
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................  ..............  ..............         160,275
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    Estimated Annual Respondent Burden per year for the MEPS MPC: The 
MPC for Calendar Year 2004 and 2005 estimated annual hour burden is as 
follows:

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                                                                          Average number     Number of    Average number  Average burden/
                    Type of provider                         Number of     of patients/      patient/       of events/      event  (in    Total hours of
                                                            respondents      provider     provider pairs      patient        minutes)         burden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MPC 2004:
    Hospital Office-based...............................           5,502             2.2          12,105             3.2               5           3,227
    Doctor..............................................          23,077             1.3          30,000             3.5               5           8,750
    Separately Billing Doctor...........................          17,143             1.4          24,000             1.3               5           2,600
    Home Health.........................................             545             1.1             600             5.8               5             290
    Pharmacy............................................           8,077             2.6          21,000            10.3               3          10,815
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Total...........................................          54,344  ..............          87,705  ..............  ..............          25,682
                                                         ===============================================================================================
MPC 2005:
    Hospital Office-based...............................           5,310             2.2          11,681             3.2               5           3,115
    Doctor..............................................          22,269             1.3          28,950             3.5               5           8,444
    Separately Billing Doctor...........................          16,543             1.4          23,160             1.3               5           2,509
    Home Health.........................................             526             1.1             579             5.8               5             280
    Pharmacy............................................           7,794             2.6          20,265            10.3               3          10,436
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Total...........................................          52,442  ..............          84,635  ..............  ..............          24,784
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Request for Comments

    In accordance with the above cited legislation, comments on the 
AHRQ information collection 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 AHRQ, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy 
of the AHRQ'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 included in the request for OMB approval of the proposed 
information collection. All comments will become a matter of public 
record.

    Dated: November 26, 2003.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 03-31197 Filed 12-16-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M