[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 95 (Monday, May 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21308-21309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08862]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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) approve an extension of the currently
approved information collection ``Medical Expenditures Panel Survey--
Insurance Component, (OMB No. 0935-0110).'' This proposed information
collection was previously published in the Federal Register on November
13, 2024 and allowed 60 days for public comment. AHRQ received comments
from members of the public. The purpose of this notice is to allow an
additional 30 days for public comment.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by June 18, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. 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 REPORTSCLEARANCE
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
Medical Expenditures Panel Survey--Insurance Component
AHRQ requests an extension of the Medical Expenditure Panel
Survey--Insurance Component (MEPS-IC), OMB control number 0935-0110. No
revisions are being made to the data collection. The current expiration
date is January 31st, 2026. AHRQ requests a new expiration date, 3
years from approval.
In 2023, employer-sponsored health insurance was the source of
coverage for 95.3 million workers and 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 are produced at the National, State, and sub-State
(metropolitan area) level for private industry. Statistics are also
produced for State and local governments.
This research has the following goals:
(1) to provide data for Federal policymakers evaluating the effects
of National and State health care reforms.
(2) to provide descriptive data on the current employer-sponsored
health insurance system and data for modeling the differential impacts
of proposed health policy initiatives.
(3) to supply critical State and National estimates of health
insurance spending for the National Health Accounts and Gross Domestic
Product.
This study is being conducted by AHRQ through its contractor, the
Bureau of the Census, pursuant to AHRQ's statutory authority to conduct
and support research on health care and on systems for the delivery of
such care, including activities with respect to the cost and use of
health care services and with respect to health statistics and surveys.
42 U.S.C. 299a(a)(3) and 42 U.S.C. 299b-2.
Method of Collection
To achieve the goals of this project the following data collections
for both private sector and State and local government employers will
be implemented:
(1) Precanvass Questionnaire--The purpose of the Precanvass
Questionnaire, which is collected online, 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 precanvass
is used to collect basic information such as number of employees.
Collection is completed for these establishments virtually. For
establishments that do offer health insurance, contact name and address
information is collected that is used for the mailout of the
establishment and plan questionnaires. Obtaining this contact
information helps ensure that the questionnaires are directed to the
person in the establishment best equipped to complete them.
(2) Establishment Questionnaire--The purpose of the Establishment
Questionnaire, which is collected via internet or mail, is to obtain
general information from employers that provide health insurance to
their employees. Information such as total active enrollment in health
insurance, other employee benefits, demographic characteristics of
employees, and retiree health insurance is collected through the
establishment questionnaire.
(3) Plan Questionnaire--The purpose of the Plan Questionnaire,
which is collected via internet or mail, is to collect plan-specific
information on each plan (up to four plans) offered by establishments
that provide health insurance to their employees. This questionnaire
obtains information on total premiums, employer and employee
[[Page 21309]]
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.
Beginning with survey year 2009, web-based electronic collection
has been used to collect MEPS-IC data, making it easier for respondents
to report, and also allowing for faster data processing. This has been
used successfully for other Census Bureau surveys and has been very
popular with respondents. Beginning with survey year 2020, email
addresses are collected in order to email sample members with a link to
respond to the survey using the internet. Since 2020, web has become
the primary mode of data collection; mail mode is used as follow-up.
Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) technology has been
an integral tool for prescreening of respondents and telephone follow-
up in the MEPS-IC since the survey's inception.
A Business Help Site (BHS) was established on the internet by the
Census Bureau for respondents to visit to view copies of the forms,
definitions, and frequently asked questions. Secure messaging can be
used by respondents through the BHS to ask reporting questions and
receive quick responses.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
Exhibit 1 shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the
respondents' time to participate in the MEPS-IC. The Prescreener
Questionnaire will be completed by 18,900 respondents and takes 5
minutes to complete. The Establishment Questionnaire will be completed
by 21,900 respondents and takes 20 minutes to complete. The Prescreener
and Establishment Questionnaires require 1 response per respondent. The
Plan Questionnaire will be completed by 18,900 respondents and will
require an average of 2.3 responses per respondent. Each Plan
Questionnaire takes 11 minutes to complete. The total annualized burden
hours are estimated to be 16,845 hours.
Exhibit 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours for the 2025-2027 MEPS-IC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of
Form name Number of responses per Minutes per Total burden
respondents respondent response hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prescreener Questionnaire....................... 18,900 1 5 1,575
Establishment Questionnaire..................... 21,900 1 20 7,300
Plan Questionnaire.............................. 18,900 2.3 11 7,970
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total....................................... 59,700 n/a n/a 16,845
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* 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 2.3 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 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 $652,893.
Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden for the 2025-2027 MEPS-IC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Total burden Average hourly Total cost
Form name respondents hours wage rate* burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prescreener Questionnaire..................... 18,900 1,575 38.76 $61,047
Establishment Questionnaire................... 21,900 7,300 38.76 282,948
Plan Questionnaire............................ 18,900 7,970 38.76 308,898
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Total..................................... 59,700 16,845 n/a 652,893
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* 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, 44 U.S.C. 3501-
3520, 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's 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.
Dated: January 16, 2025.
Marquita Cullom,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 2025-08862 Filed 5-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-P