[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 250 (Thursday, December 31, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69364-69365]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-30998]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employee Benefits Security Administration


Proposed Extension of Information Collection; Comment Request; 
HDCI 2 Survey of Group Health Plans

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (the Department), in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), 
provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to 
comment on proposed and continuing collections of information. This 
program helps the Department assess the impact of its information 
collection requirements and minimize the reporting burden on the public 
and helps the public understand the Department's information collection 
requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. 
Currently, the Employee Benefits Security Administration is soliciting 
comments on a proposed extension of an information collection entitled 
the Health Disclosure and Claims Issues Project Survey (HDCI 2 Survey). 
A copy of the information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by 
contacting the office listed below in the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before March 1, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to G. Christopher Cosby, Office 
of Policy and Research, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. 
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-5716, 
Washington, DC 20210. Telephone: (202) 693-8410; Fax: (202) 219-4745. 
These are not toll-free numbers. Comments may also be submitted 
electronically to the following Internet e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    In 1999, the Department conducted a pilot project under which 
approximately 200 group health plans were investigated for compliance 
with Part 7 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 
(ERISA). In 2001, the Department initiated the Health Disclosure and 
Claims Issues: Fiscal Year 2001 Compliance Project, which sought to 
increase compliance through investigations and improve the Department's 
ability to provide effective compliance assistance by assessing more 
comprehensively the extent and nature of compliance with Part 7 of 
ERISA among group health plans. As a result of that project, the 
Department broadened its compliance assistance efforts through a 
combination of publications, outreach, self-audit materials, and other 
compliance tools. As a follow-up to the Fiscal Year 2001 Compliance 
Project, the Department proposed to conduct a second project, the HDCI 
2 Survey, which was intended to measure changes in compliance with Part 
7 of ERISA and to improve the effectiveness of future compliance 
assistance efforts. As part of the HDCI 2 Survey, the Department 
proposed to conduct a narrow scope telephone survey for the sole 
purpose of identifying an appropriate sample of ERISA-covered single-
employer group health plans in two categories: (1) Plans sponsored by 
firms with 3-99 employees, and (2) plans sponsored by firms with 100 or 
more employees. OMB approved the HDCI 2 Survey on April 27, 2007, under 
OMB Control Number 1210-0129, which currently is scheduled to expire on 
April 30, 2010.

II. Current Actions

    This notice requests comments on an extension of OMB's approval of 
the information collections included in the HDCI 2 Survey. The 
Department is not proposing or implementing changes to the existing ICR 
at this time. A summary of the ICR and the current burden estimates 
follows:
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection of 
information.
    Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration.
    Title: HDCI 2 Survey of Group Health Plans.
    OMB Number: 1210-0129.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
organizations.
    Total Respondents: 5,000.
    Total Responses: 5,000.
    Frequency: Once.
    Average Time per Response: 5 minutes.

[[Page 69365]]

    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 417 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost Burden: $0.

III. Desired Focus of Comments

    The Department is particularly interested in comments that:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., by permitting electronic 
submission of responses.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the ICR submitted for OMB approval. They will also 
become a matter of public record.

    Dated: December 24, 2009.
Joseph A. Piacentini,
Director, Office of Policy and Research, Employee Benefits Security 
Administration.
[FR Doc. E9-30998 Filed 12-30-09; 8:45 am]
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