[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 144 (Friday, July 28, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35206-35208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-15884]


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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) reapprove the proposed information 
collection project: ``Medical Expenditure Panel Survey--Insurance 
Component.''
    This proposed information collection was previously published in 
the Federal Register on April 28, 2017, and allowed 60 days for public 
comment. No substantive comments were received; however changes have 
been made to the burden estimates in Exhibit 1, resulting in an 
increase of 1,316 burden hours. The purpose of this notice is to allow 
an additional 30 days for public comment.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by August 28, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: AHRQ's OMB Desk 
Officer by fax at (202) 395-6974 (attention: AHRQ's desk officer) or by 
email at [email protected] (attention: AHRQ's desk officer).
    Copies of the proposed collection plans, data collection 
instruments, and specific details on the estimated burden can be 
obtained from the AHRQ Reports Clearance Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ Reports 
Clearance Officer, (301) 427-1477, or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 35207]]

Proposed Project

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey--Insurance Component

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-
3521, AHRQ invites the public to comment on this proposed information 
collection. Employer-sponsored health insurance is the source of 
coverage for 84.4 million current and former workers, plus many of 
their family members, and is a cornerstone of the U.S. health care 
system. The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey--Insurance Component 
(MEPS-IC) measures the extent, cost, and coverage of employer-sponsored 
health insurance on an annual basis. These statistics for private 
industry are produced at the National, State, and sub-State 
(metropolitan area) level. Statistics are also produced for State and 
Local governments.
    This research has the following goals:
    (1) Provide data for Federal policymakers evaluating the effects of 
National and State health care reforms.
    (2) Provide descriptive data on the current employer-sponsored 
health insurance system and data for modeling the differential impacts 
of proposed health policy initiatives.
    (3) Supply critical State and National estimates of health 
insurance spending for the National Health Accounts and Gross Domestic 
Product.
    The MEPS-IC is conducted pursuant to AHRQ's statutory authority to 
conduct surveys to collect data on the cost, use and quality of health 
care, including types and costs of private insurance, 42 U.S.C. 299b-
2(a), and to conduct research on health care, 42 U.S.C. 299a.

Method of Collection

    To achieve the goals of this project, following data collections 
will be implemented for both private sector and state and local 
government employers:
    (1) Pre-screener Questionnaire--The purpose of the Pre-screener 
Questionnaire, which is collected via telephone, varies depending on 
the insurance status of the establishment contacted. Establishment is 
defined as a single, physical location in the private sector and a 
governmental unit in state and local governments. For establishments 
that do not offer health insurance to their employees, the Pre-screener 
Questionnaire is used to collect basic information, such as number of 
employees. For establishments that do offer health insurance, the Pre-
screener Questionnaire collects contact name and address information 
for the person in the establishment best equipped to complete the full 
questionnaire.
    (2) Establishment Questionnaire--The purpose of the mailed 
Establishment Questionnaire is to obtain general information from 
employers that provide health insurance to their employees, including 
total active enrollment in health insurance, other employee benefits, 
demographic characteristics of employees, and retiree health insurance.
    (3) Plan Questionnaire--The purpose of the mailed Plan 
Questionnaire is to collect plan-specific information on each plan (up 
to four plans) offered by establishments. This questionnaire obtains 
information on total premiums, employer and employee contributions to 
the premium, and plan enrollment for each type of coverage offered--
single, employee-plus-one, and family--within a plan. It also asks for 
information on deductibles, copays, and other plan characteristics.
    The primary objective of the MEPS-IC is to collect information on 
employer-sponsored health insurance. Such information is needed in 
order to provide the tools for Federal, State, and academic researchers 
to evaluate current and proposed health policies and to support the 
production of important statistical measures for other Federal 
agencies.

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

    Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the 
respondent's time to participate in the MEPS-IC. The Pre-screener 
questionnaire will be completed by 30,041 respondents and takes 5 
minutes to complete. The Establishment questionnaire will be completed 
by 25,914 respondents and takes 23 minutes to complete. The Plan 
questionnaire will be completed by 22,943 respondents and will require 
an average of 2.5 responses per respondent. Each Plan questionnaire 
takes 11 minutes to complete. The total annualized burden hours are 
estimated to be 22,952 hours.
    Exhibit 2 shows the estimated annualized cost burden associated 
with the respondents' time to participate in this data collection. The 
annualized cost burden is estimated to be $733,776.

                     Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours for the 2018-2019 MEPS-IC
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                                                                     Number of
                    Form name                        Number of     responses per     Hours per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prescreener Questionnaire.......................          30,041               1            5/60           2,503
Establishment Questionnaire.....................          25,914               1         * 23/60           9,934
Plan Questionnaire..............................          22,943             2.5           11/60          10,515
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................          78,898              na              na          22,952
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* The burden estimate printed on the establishment questionnaire is 45 minutes which includes the burden
  estimate for completing the establishment questionnaire and two plan questionnaires (on average, each
  establishment completes 2.5 plan questionnaires). The establishment and plan questionnaires are sent to the
  respondent as a package and are completed by the respondent at the same time.


                      Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden for the 2018-2019 MEPS-IC
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                                                                                      Average
                    Form name                        Number of     Total burden    hourly  wage     Total cost
                                                    respondents        hours          rate *          burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prescreener Questionnaire.......................          30,041           2,503           31.97         $80,021
Establishment Questionnaire.....................          25,914           9,934           31.97         317,590
Plan Questionnaire..............................          22,943          10,515           31.97         336,165
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 35208]]

 
    Total.......................................          78,898          22,952              na         733,776
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* Based upon the mean hourly wage for Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists occupation code 13-
  1141, at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes131141.htm (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.)

Request for Comments

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, comments on AHRQ's 
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 AHRQ health care research and 
health care information dissemination functions, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of AHRQ's 
estimate of burden (including hours and costs) of the proposed 
collection(s) 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 Agency's subsequent request for OMB approval of the 
proposed information collection. All comments will become a matter of 
public record.

Sharon B. Arnold,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 2017-15884 Filed 7-27-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4160-90-P