[Federal Register: September 12, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 176)]
[Notices]
[Page 52131-52132]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12se07-94]
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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 the proposed information
collection project: ``2008-2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey--
Insurance Component (MEPS-IC).'' 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 June 28, 2007 and allowed 60 days for public
comment. Public comments were received and have been addressed in the
supporting statement, available upon request. The purpose of this
notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by October 12, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Karen Matsuoka by
fax at (202) 395-6974 (attention: AHRQ's desk officer) or by e-mail at
OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov (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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Project
2008 and 2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey--Insurance Component
(MEPS-IC)
The MEPS-IC, an annual survey of the characteristics of employer-
sponsored health insurance, was first conducted by AHRQ in 1997 for the
calendar year 1996. The survey has since been conducted annually for
calendar years 1997 through 2006. AHRQ proposes to continue this annual
survey of establishments for calendar years 2008 and 2009. The survey
data for calendar year 2008 will be collected in that year. Likewise,
calendar year 2009 data will be collected in 2009. This is a change
from earlier MEPS-IC collections, when survey data for a calendar year
were collected in the following year (i.e., 2005 survey data were
collected in 2006). This changeover means that there will be no data
collected for the year 2007. However, the data for 2008 and 2009 will
now be released a year earlier than would have occurred under the
former collection scheme.
This survey will be conducted for AHRQ by the Bureau of Census
using a sample comprised of an annual sample of employers selected from
Census Bureau lists of private sector employers and governments.
Data to be collected from each employer will include a description
of the business (e.g., size, industry) and descriptions of health
insurance plans available, plan enrollments, total plan costs and costs
to employees.
[[Page 52132]]
Data Confidentiality Provisions
All MEPS-IC data collected, both identifiable and non-identifiable,
will be stored at the Census Bureau. Their confidentiality is protected
under the U.S. Census Bureau confidentiality statute, Section 9 of
Title 13, United States Code. In addition, because the Census sample
lists are developed using Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Tax
Information, the data also fall under the review of the IRS which
conducts regular audits of the data collection storage and use (Title
26, United States Code).
The confidentiality provisions of the AHRQ statute at 42 USC 299c-
3(c) apply to all data collected for research that is supported by
AHRQ. All data products listed below must fully comply with the data
confidentiality statute under which their raw data was collected as
well as any additional confidentiality provisions that apply.
Data Products
Data will be produced in two forms: (1) Files containing employer
information will be available for use by researchers at the Census
Bureau's Research Data Centers (all research output is reviewed by
Census employees and no identifiable data may leave the Center) and (2)
a large compendium of tables of estimates, produced by Census and
containing no identifiable data, will be made available on the AHRQ
website. These tables will contain descriptive statistics, such as,
numbers of establishments offering health insurance, average premiums,
average contributions, total enrollments, numbers of self insured
establishments and other related statistics for a large number of
population subsets defined by firm size, state, industry and other
establishment characteristics such as, age, profit/nonprofit status and
union/nonunion status of the workforce.
The data are intended to be used for purposes such as:
Generating National and State estimates of employer health
care offerings;
Producing estimates to support the Bureau of Economic
Analysis and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services in their
production of health care expenditure estimates for the National Health
Accounts and the Gross Domestic Product;
Producing National and State estimates of spending on
employer-sponsored health insurance to study the results of National
and State health care policies; and
Supplying data for modeling the demand for health
insurance.
These data provide the basis for researchers to address important
questions for employers and policymakers alike.
Method of Collection
The data will be collected using a combination of modes. The Census
Bureau's first contact with employers will be made by telephone. This
contact will provide information on the availability of health
insurance from that employer and essential persons to contact. Based
upon this information, Census will mail a questionnaire to the
employer. In order to assure high response rates, Census will follow-up
with a second mailing after an interval of approximately 30 working
days, followed by a telephone call to collect data from those who have
not responded by mail.
For larger respondents with high burdens, such as State employers
and very large firms, Census may follow special procedures, as needed.
These include performing personal visits and doing customized
collection, such as accepting data in computerized formats and using
special forms. The response rate for the most recent survey was
approximately 79%.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden
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Estimated time Estimated Estimated
Survey years Annual number per respondent total annual annual cost to
of respondents in hours burden hours the Government
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2008............................................ 33,262 .57 19,032 $9,650,000
2009............................................ 33,262 .57 19,032 9,950,000
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Request for Comments
In accordance with the above cited legislation, comments on the
AHRQ information collection proposal 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 the Agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the
accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and
costs) 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 on
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.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 07-4447 Filed 9-11-07; 8:45 am]
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