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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89643-89645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26207]

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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) approve an extension of the currently 
approved information collection project: ``Medical Expenditures Panel 
Survey--Insurance Component.''

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by January 13, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Doris Lefkowitz, 
Reports Clearance Officer, AHRQ, by email at 
[email protected].

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

[[Page 89644]]

    (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) Prescreener Questionnaire--The purpose of the Prescreener 
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 prescreener 
is used to collect basic information such as number of employees. 
Collection is completed for these establishments through this telephone 
call. 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 
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
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                                                                    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
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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 2.3 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.

[[Page 89645]]

                      Exhibit 2--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden for the 2025-2027 MEPS-IC
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                                                                                          Average
                      Form name                           Number of      Total burden   hourly wage   Total cost
                                                         respondents         hours         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
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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, 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: November 5, 2024.
Marquita Cullom,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-26207 Filed 11-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-P
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