18030 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 61 / Monday, March 31, 2014 / Notices 

prior to April 23, 2014, and should be 

sent by email to NBSB@HHS.GOV with 

‘‘NBSB Public Comment’’ as the subject 

line. Public comments received by close 

of business one week prior to each 

teleconference will be distributed to the 

NBSB in advance. 

Dated: March 20, 2014. 

Nicole Lurie, 

Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and 

Response. 

[FR Doc. 2014–06996 Filed 3–28–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

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 the proposed 

changes to the currently approved 

information collection 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. 

This proposed information collection 

was previously published in the Federal 

Register on January 10th, 2014 and 

allowed 60 days for public comment. 

One comment was 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 April 30, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be submitted to: Doris Lefkowitz, 

Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, by 

email at doris.lefkowitz@AHRQ.hhs.gov. 

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 doris.lefkowitz@AHRQ.hhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Proposed Project 

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey— 

Insurance Component 

Employer-sponsored health insurance 

is the source of coverage for 85 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. 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. The MEPS–IC was last 

approved by OMB on November 21st, 

2013 and will expire on November 30th, 

2016. The OMB control number for the 

MEPS–IC is 0935–0110. All of the 

supporting documents for the current 

MEPS–IC can be downloaded from 

OMB’s Web site at http://www.reginfo.

gov/public/do/PRAViewDocument?ref_

nbr=201310-0935-001. 

In order to ensure that the MEPS–IC 

is able to capture important changes in 

the employer-sponsored health 

insurance market due to the 

implementation of the Patient 

Protection and Affordable Care Act 

(PPACA), a group was formed within 

AHRQ to research and propose revisions 

to the 2014 survey questionnaires based 

on the law’s provisions. Many of these 

updates are related to the 

implementation of the Small Business 

Health Options Program (SHOP) 

exchanges/marketplaces that are 

available to small employers for 

purchasing health insurance beginning 

in 2014. 

The group’s proposals were sent to a 

variety of federal and private 

stakeholders to obtain their suggestions 

and comments. These stakeholders 

included the U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services’ Assistant 

Secretary for Planning and Evaluation 

(ASPE), the Center for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Center for 

Consumer Information and Insurance 

Oversight, the CMS Office of the 

Actuary, the National Center for Health 

Statistics, the President’s Council of 

Economic Advisors, the Office of 

Management and Budget, the Bureau of 

Labor Statistics, the Employee Benefits 

Security Administration, the Bureau of 

the Census, and health insurance 

researchers at various universities and 

other not-for-profit organizations. These 

reviewers’ comments were invaluable, 

and are reflected in the questions 

proposed herein. 

In addition to the new questions 

recommended for 2014, several 

questions in the 2013 survey are 

proposed for deletion as part of the 2014 

improvements. These deletions are 

necessary to minimize the burden on 

survey respondents and are limited to 

those questions with less analytic value, 

with poor response rates, or those that 

are no longer relevant due to changes 

made under PPACA. 

Unlike for previous years’ additions to 

the MEPS–IC questionnaires, the Bureau 

of the Census—which conducts and 

processes the survey on AHRQ’s 

behalf—was not able to pretest the 

proposed 2014 questions. Many of the 

new questions relate to PPACA 

requirements or options (such as the 

SHOP marketplaces) which did not exist 

prior to the deadline for preparation of 

the 2014 questionnaires. So employers 

would not yet have made changes to 

their health insurance coverage that 

could be researched to help in the 

development of the new questions. 

For all establishment-level MEPS–IC 

forms, AHRQ proposes to make the 

following changes. As noted below, 

some new questions only will be asked 

of private-sector establishments with 

certain firm sizes (defined by number of 

employees) or comparably-sized 

government units: 

Additions 

<=50 firm size only: 

• Did you offer health insurance 

through a small business (SHOP) 

exchange or marketplace in your State? 

Yes/No/Don’t Know 

All firm sizes, except very large 

businesses: 

• Last year, did your organization 

offer health insurance as a benefit to its 

employees at this location? Yes, offered 

in 2013/No, did not offer in 2013/Don’t 

Know 

All firm sizes: 

• How many employees reported in 

Question 2a above worked less than 30 

hours per week? lll employees 

Check box: No employees worked less 

than 30 hours 

• Are employees’ spouses eligible for 

health insurance coverage through your 

organization? All spouses are eligible/

Only spouses not eligible through their 

own employer/No spouses eligible/Don’t 

Know 

Deletions 

• Did your organization offer any 

health insurance as a benefit to its 

employees at this location between 

January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2013? 

Yes/No 

• What was the last year your 

organization offered health insurance 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 61 / Monday, March 31, 2014 / Notices 18031 

coverage to its employees at this 

location? lll Last year offered 

• Did your organization offer health 

insurance to its temporary or seasonal 

employees at this location in 2014? Yes/ 

No/Organization has no temporary or 

seasonal employees/Don’t Know 

For all plan-level MEPS–IC forms, 

AHRQ proposes to make the following 

changes. As noted below, some new 

questions only will be asked of privatesector establishments with certain firm 

sizes or comparably-sized government 

units: 

Additions 

<=50 firm size only: 

• Health insurance plans are 

classified into different metal levels or 

tiers based on their level of benefits and 

cost-sharing provisions. Which level or 

tier was this plan in? Bronze/Silver/

Gold/Platinum/Don’t Know 

>50 firm size only: 

• What is the actuarial value of this 

plan? 

The actuarial value is the percentage 

of medical expenses paid by the plan, 

rather than out-of-pocket by a covered 

person. lll % 

Check box: Do not know actuarial 

value 

All firm sizes: 

• You reported the total premium for 

a typical employee for SINGLE 

coverage. Did this premium vary for 

individual employees depending on 

their ages? Yes/No/Don’t Know 

• Did the amount individual 

employees contributed toward their 

single coverage vary by any of these 

characteristics? 

• Participation/achievement in fitness/

weight loss program 

Æ Yes 

Æ No 

Æ Don’t Know 

• Participation/achievement in smoking 

cessation program 

Æ Yes 

Æ No 

Æ Don’t Know 

• Participation/achievement in 

wellness/health monitoring 

program 

Æ Yes 

Æ No 

Æ Don’t Know 

• Employee age 

Æ Yes: go to question below 

Æ No 

Æ Don’t Know 

• Other 

Æ Yes 

Æ No 

Æ Don’t Know 

• How did individual employees’ 

contributions vary by age? Employer 

pays same percent of premium, and 

premiums vary by age/Employer pays 

the same dollar amount toward 

premium, and premiums vary by age/

Other/Don’t Know 

• Did the total premium for FAMILY 

coverage vary depending on the number 

of family members covered by the plan? 

Yes/No/Don’t Know 

• How much and/or what percentage 

did an enrollee pay out-of-pocket for 

each type of prescription drug covered? 

• Generic 

Æ $lll Copay AND/OR lll % 

Coinsurance 

• Preferred Brand Name 

Æ $lll Copay AND/OR lll % 

Coinsurance 

• Non-preferred Brand Name 

Æ $lll Copay AND/OR lll % 

Coinsurance 

Deletions 

• Did the PREMIUMS for this 

insurance plan vary by any of these 

characteristics? Age/Gender/Wage or 

salary levels/Smoker/Non-smoker 

status/Other 

• Did the amount an EMPLOYEE 

CONTRIBUTED toward his/her own 

coverage vary by any of these employee 

characteristics? Hours worked/Union 

status/Wage or salary levels/

Occupation/Length of employment/

Participation in a fitness/Weight loss 

program/Participation in a smoking 

cessation program/Other 

• How much and/or what percentage 

did an enrollee pay out-of-pocket for the 

lowest tier of prescription drug 

coverage? $ copayment/% coinsurance 

• Could this plan have refused to 

cover persons with pre-existing medical 

or health conditions? Yes/No 

• Did this plan have a policy 

requiring a waiting period before 

covering pre-existing conditions? Yes/

No 

The MEPS Definitions form—MEPS– 

20(D)—will also be updated with new 

definitions for terms used in these new 

questions (and the deletion of terms 

used only in the deleted questions). 

There are no changes to the 2014 

MEPS–IC survey estimates of cost and 

hour burdens due to these proposed 

question changes. The response rate for 

the MEPS–IC survey also is not 

expected to change due to these 

proposed changes. 

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 the types and costs of private 

health insurance. 42 U.S.C. 299b–2(a). 

Method of Collection 

There are no changes to the current 

data collection methods. 

Estimated Annual Respondent Burden 

There are no changes to the current 

burden estimates. 

Estimated Annual Costs to the Federal 

Government 

There are no changes to the current 

cost estimates. 

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 healthcare 

research and healthcare 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: March 21, 2014. 

Richard Kronick, 

Director. 

[FR Doc. 2014–07110 Filed 3–28–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality 

Patient Safety Organizations: Expired 

Listing From Society of Hospital 

Medicine PSO 

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality (AHRQ), Department of 

Health and Human Services (HHS). 

ACTION: Notice of Delisting. 

SUMMARY: The Patient Safety and 

Quality Improvement Act of 2005, 42 

U.S.C. 299b–21 to b–26, (Patient Safety 

Act) and the related Patient Safety and 

Quality Improvement Final Rule, 42 

CFR Part 3 (Patient Safety Rule), 

published in the Federal Register on 

November 21, 2008, 73 FR 70732– 

70814, provide for the formation of 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES