Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request, 53154-53157 [2015-21719]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 170 / Wednesday, September 2, 2015 / Notices
CFR 225.41) to acquire shares of a bank
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September 17, 2015.
A. Federal Reserve Bank of
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Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, August 28, 2015.
Michael J. Lewandowski,
Associate Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2015–21717 Filed 9–1–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality
Patient Safety Organizations:
Voluntary Relinquishment From Safe
Pediatric Healthcare PSO
Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ), Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice of delisting.
AGENCY:
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
Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs),
which collect, aggregate, and analyze
confidential information regarding the
quality and safety of health care
delivery. The Patient Safety Rule
authorizes AHRQ, on behalf of the
Secretary of HHS, to list as a PSO an
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SUMMARY:
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entity that attests that it meets the
statutory and regulatory requirements
for listing. A PSO can be ‘‘delisted’’ by
the Secretary if it is found to no longer
meet the requirements of the Patient
Safety Act and Patient Safety Rule,
when a PSO chooses to voluntarily
relinquish its status as a PSO for any
reason, or when a PSO’s listing expires.
AHRQ has accepted a notification of
voluntary relinquishment from Safe
Pediatric Healthcare PSO of its status as
a PSO, and has delisted the PSO
accordingly.
DATES: The directories for both listed
and delisted PSOs are ongoing and
reviewed weekly by AHRQ. The
delisting was effective at 12:00 Midnight
ET (2400) on August 1, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Both directories can be
accessed electronically at the following
HHS Web site: https://
www.pso.AHRQ.gov/listed.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Eileen Hogan, Center for Quality
Improvement and Patient Safety, AHRQ,
540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850;
Telephone (toll free): (866) 403–3697;
Telephone (local): (301) 427–1111; TTY
(toll free): (866) 438–7231; TTY (local):
(301) 427–1130; Email: PSO@
AHRQ.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Patient Safety Act authorizes the
listing of PSOs, which are entities or
component organizations whose
mission and primary activity are to
conduct activities to improve patient
safety and the quality of health care
delivery.
HHS issued the Patient Safety Rule to
implement the Patient Safety Act.
AHRQ administers the provisions of the
Patient Safety Act and Patient Safety
Rule relating to the listing and operation
of PSOs. The Patient Safety Rule
authorizes AHRQ to list as a PSO an
entity that attests that it meets the
statutory and regulatory requirements
for listing. A PSO can be ‘‘delisted’’ if
it is found to no longer meet the
requirements of the Patient Safety Act
and Patient Safety Rule, when a PSO
chooses to voluntarily relinquish its
status as a PSO for any reason, or when
the PSO’s listing expires. Section
3.108(d) of the Patient Safety Rule
requires AHRQ to provide public notice
when it removes an organization from
the list of federally approved PSOs.
AHRQ has accepted a notification
from Safe Pediatric Healthcare PSO, a
component entity of Childrens National
Medical Center and Spectrum Health
Hospitals dba Helen DeVos Children’s
Hospital, PSO number P0132, to
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voluntarily relinquish its status as a
PSO. Accordingly, Safe Pediatric
Healthcare PSO was delisted effective at
12:00 Midnight ET (2400) on August 1,
2015.
More information on PSOs can be
obtained through AHRQ’s PSO Web site
at https://www.pso.ahrq.gov/.
Sharon B. Arnold,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 2015–21720 Filed 9–1–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–90–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality, HHS.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice.
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.’’ 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 June 11th, 2015 and allowed
60 days for public comment. No
comments were received. The purpose
of this notice is to allow an additional
30 days for public comment.
SUMMARY:
Comments on this notice must be
received by October 2, 2015.
DATES:
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 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.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ Reports
Clearance Officer, (301) 427–1477, or by
email at doris.lefkowitz@AHRQ.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 170 / Wednesday, September 2, 2015 / Notices
Proposed Project
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey—
Insurance Component
Employer-sponsored health insurance
is the source of coverage for 79.3 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 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.
(4) to support evaluation of the impact
of the PPACA on health insurance
offered by all employers, and especially
by small employers (due to the
implementation of Small Business
Health Options Program (SHOP)
exchanges under the PPACA), through
the addition of a longitudinal
component to the sample.
This study is being conducted by
AHRQ through the Bureau of the
Census, pursuant to AHRQ’s statutory
authority to conduct and support
research on healthcare and on systems
for the delivery of such care, including
activities with respect to the quality,
effectiveness, efficiency,
appropriateness and value of health care
services and with respect to quality
measurement and improvement. 42
U.S.C. 299a(a)(1) and (2).
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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 mailed Establishment
Questionnaire is to obtain general
information from employers that
provide health insurance to their
employees. This information includes
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 mailed Plan Questionnaire 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.
(4) 2016–2017 Longitudinal Sample—
For 2016 and 2017, an additional
sample of 7,000 employers will be
included in the collection. The sample
will include employers of all sizes,
however 50 percent of the sample will
be small employers (those with 50 or
fewer employees). This sample, called
the Longitudinal Sample (LS), is
designed to measure the impact of the
ACA on employer sponsored health
insurance and especially the impact of
the SHOP exchanges on small
employers. The 2016 LS will consist of
7,000 private-sector employers that
responded to the 2015 MEPS–IC, and
the 2017 LS will consist of 7,000
private-sector employers that responded
to the 2016 MEPS–IC. These employers
will be surveyed again in 2016 and
2017—using the same collection
methods as the regular survey—in order
to track changes in their health
insurance offerings, characteristics, and
costs.
The primary objective of the MEPS–
IC is to collect information on employersponsored 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
The estimated annualized respondent
burden hours and costs for the regular
MEPS–IC and the Longitudinal Sample
are presented separately below.
2016–2017 Regular MEPS–IC
Exhibit 1a shows the estimated
annualized burden hours for the
respondent’s time to participate in the
MEPS–IC. The Prescreener
questionnaire will be completed by
27,606 respondents and takes about 51⁄2
minutes to complete. The Establishment
questionnaire will be completed by
23,814 respondents and takes about 23
minutes to complete. The Plan
questionnaire will be completed by
21,084 respondents and will require an
average of 2.2 responses per respondent.
Each Plan questionnaire takes about 11
minutes to complete. The total
annualized burden hours are estimated
to be 19,883 hours.
Exhibit 2a 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 $615,380.
Exhibit 1A—Estimated Annualized Burden Hours for the 2016–2017 MEPS–IC
Number of
respondents
Form name
Prescreener Questionnaire ..............................................................................
Establishment Questionnaire ...........................................................................
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Number of
responses per
respondent
27,606
23,814
E:\FR\FM\02SEN1.SGM
1
1
02SEN1
Hours per
response
0.09
* 0.38
Total burden
hours
2,485
9,049
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 170 / Wednesday, September 2, 2015 / Notices
Exhibit 1A—Estimated Annualized Burden Hours for the 2016–2017 MEPS–IC—Continued
Number of
respondents
Form name
Plan Questionnaire ..........................................................................................
21,084
Total ..........................................................................................................
Number of
responses per
respondent
72,504
Hours per
response
2.2
Total burden
hours
0.18
8,349
na
19,883
na
* The burden estimate printed on the establishment questionnaire is 45 minutes which includes the burden estimate for completing the establishment questionnaire, an average of 2.2 plan questionnaires, plus the prescreener. The establishment and plan questionnaires are sent to the
respondent as a package and are completed by the respondent at the same time.
EXHIBIT 2a—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED COST BURDEN FOR THE 2016–2017 MEPS–IC
Number of
respondents
Form name
Total burden
hours
Average
hourly wage
rate *
Total cost
burden
Prescreener Questionnaire ..............................................................................
Establishment Questionnaire ...........................................................................
Plan Questionnaire ..........................................................................................
27,606
23,814
21,084
2,485
9,049
8,349
30.95
30.95
30.95
$76,911
280,067
258,402
Total ..........................................................................................................
72,504
19,883
na
615,380
* Based upon the mean hourly wage for Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists occupation code 13–1141, at https://bls.gov/oes/
current/oes131141.htm (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.)
2016–2017 Longitudinal Sample
Exhibit 1b shows the estimated
annualized burden hours for the
respondent’s time to participate in the
Longitudinal Sample. The Prescreener
questionnaire will be completed by
4,517 respondents and takes about 51⁄2
minutes to complete. The Establishment
questionnaire will be completed by
4,023 respondents and takes about 23
minutes to complete. The Plan
questionnaire will be completed by
3,487 respondents and will require an
average of 2.2 responses per respondent.
Each Plan questionnaire takes about 11
minutes to complete. The total
annualized burden hours are estimated
to be 3,317 hours.
Exhibit 2b 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 $102,662.
EXHIBIT 1b—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS FOR THE 2016–2017 LONGITUDINAL SAMPLE
Number of
respondents
Form name
Prescreener Questionnaire ..............................................................................
Establishment Questionnaire ...........................................................................
Plan Questionnaire ..........................................................................................
4,517
4,023
3,487
Total ..........................................................................................................
Number of
responses per
respondent
1
1
2.2
12,027
na
Hours per
response
Total burden
hours
0.09
* 0.38
0.18
407
1,529
1,381
na
3,317
* The burden estimate printed on the establishment questionnaire is 45 minutes which includes the burden estimate for completing the establishment questionnaire, an average of 2.2 plan questionnaires, plus the prescreener. The establishment and plan questionnaires are sent to the
respondent as a package and are completed by the respondent at the same time.
EXHIBIT 2b—ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED COST BURDEN FOR THE 2016–2017 LONGITUDINAL SAMPLE
Number of
respondents
Form name
Total burden
hours
Average
hourly wage
rate *
Total cost
burden
4,517
4,023
3,487
407
1,529
1,381
$30.95
30.95
30.95
$12,597
47,323
42,742
Total ..........................................................................................................
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Prescreener Questionnaire ..............................................................................
Establishment Questionnaire ...........................................................................
Plan Questionnaire ..........................................................................................
12,027
3,317
na
102,662
*Based upon the mean hourly wage for Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists occupation code 13–1141, at https://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)
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Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of AHRQ health care
research and information dissemination
functions, including whether the
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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
E:\FR\FM\02SEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 170 / Wednesday, September 2, 2015 / Notices
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 Agency’s subsequent
request for OMB approval of the
proposed information collection. All
comments will become a matter of
public record.
Sharon Arnold,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 2015–21719 Filed 9–1–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–90–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry
[Docket No. ATSDR–2015–0004]
Availability of Draft Toxicological
Profile; Perfluoroalkyls
Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry (ATSDR),
Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice of availability, and
request for comment.
AGENCY:
The Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR) located in the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS)
announces the availability of the
Toxicological Profile for Perfluoroalkyls
for review and comment. Comments can
include additional information or
reports on studies about the health
effects of perfluoroalkyls. Although
ATSDR considered key studies for this
substance during the profile
development process, this Federal
Register notice solicits any relevant,
additional studies, particularly
unpublished data. ATSDR will evaluate
the quality and relevance of such data
or studies for possible inclusion into the
profile. ATSDR remains committed to
providing a public comment period for
this document as a means to best serve
public health and our clients.
DATES: To be considered, comments on
the draft Toxicological Profile for
Perfluoroalkyls must be received not
later than December 1, 2015. Comments
received after close of the public
comment period will be considered
solely at the discretion of ATSDR, based
upon what is deemed to be in the best
interest of the general public.
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SUMMARY:
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Jkt 235001
You may submit comments,
identified by the docket number
ATSDR–2015–0004, by any of the
following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov/#!home. Follow
the instructions for submitting
comments.
• Mail: Division of Toxicology and
Human Health Sciences, 1600 Clifton
Rd. NE., F57, Atlanta, GA 30329–4027.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Delores Grant, Division of Toxicology
and Human Health Sciences, Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry,
1600 Clifton Road NE., MS F–57,
Atlanta, GA 30329; telephone number
(800) 232–4636 or (770) 488–3351.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Superfund Amendments and
Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) (42
U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) amended the
Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability
Act of 1980 (CERCLA or Superfund) (42
U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) by establishing
certain requirements for ATSDR and the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(U.S. EPA) regarding hazardous
substances that are most commonly
found at facilities on the CERCLA
National Priorities List (NPL). Among
these statutory requirements is a
mandate for the Administrator of
ATSDR to prepare toxicological profiles
for each substance included on the
priority list of hazardous substances
(also called the Substance Priority List).
This list identifies 275 hazardous
substances that ATSDR (in cooperation
with EPA) has determined pose the
most significant potential threat to
human health. The availability of the
revised list of the 275 priority
substances was announced in the
Federal Register on May 28, 2014 (79
FR 30613) and is available at
www.atsdr.cdc.gov/spl.
In addition, ATSDR has the authority
to prepare toxicological profiles for
substances not found at sites on the
National Priorities List, in an effort to
‘‘establish and maintain inventory of
literature, research, and studies on the
health effects of toxic substances’’ under
CERCLA Section 104(i)(1)(B), to respond
to requests for consultation under
section 104(i)(4), and as otherwise
necessary to support the site-specific
response actions conducted by ATSDR.
On November 6, 2008, ATSDR
announced the availability of a draft
toxicological profile for Set 22
Toxicological Profiles for public
comment (73 FR 66047). The Set 22
Toxicological Profiles included
Perfluoroalkyls and ATSDR announced
that the Perfluoroalkyls profile was on
ADDRESSES:
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53157
a modified schedule pending additional
review.
On July 23, 2009 ATSDR published a
second notice of the availability of the
toxicological profile for Perfluoroalkyls
in draft form for public review and
comment (74 FR 36492). The 90-day
comment period ended October 30,
2009. Following the close of the
comment period, chemical-specific
comments were addressed, and, where
appropriate, changes were incorporated
into the profile. Given the plethora of
new data that have been published since
2009, and the resulting extensive
revision to the profile, the agency has
determined that it would be in the best
interest of public health to release the
perfluoroalkyls profile for another
public comment period. The public
comments and other data submitted in
response to the Federal Register notices
are available for inspection from
Monday through Friday, except for legal
holidays, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.,
Eastern Time, at 4770 Buford Hwy NE.,
Atlanta, Georgia 30341. Please call
ahead to 1–800–232–4636 and ask for a
representative in the Division of
Toxicology and Human Health Sciences
to schedule your visit.
Availability
The Toxicological Profile for
Perfluoroalkyls prepared by ATSDR will
be made available to the public on or
about August 31, 2015 at the ATSDR
Web site: www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
toxprofiles/index.asp and at the Federal
eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov/#!home.
Sascha Chaney,
Director, Office of Policy, Planning and
Evaluation, National Center for
Environmental Health and Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry.
[FR Doc. 2015–21544 Filed 9–1–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163–70–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
[60Day–15–0214; Docket No. CDC–2015–
0076]
Proposed Data Collection Submitted
for Public Comment and
Recommendations
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice with comment period.
AGENCY:
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 2, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53154-53157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21719]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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) reapprove the proposed 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 June 11th, 2015 and allowed 60 days for public
comment. No comments were 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 October 2, 2015.
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 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, or by email at
doris.lefkowitz@AHRQ.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 53155]]
Proposed Project
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey--Insurance Component
Employer-sponsored health insurance is the source of coverage for
79.3 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 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.
(4) to support evaluation of the impact of the PPACA on health
insurance offered by all employers, and especially by small employers
(due to the implementation of Small Business Health Options Program
(SHOP) exchanges under the PPACA), through the addition of a
longitudinal component to the sample.
This study is being conducted by AHRQ through the Bureau of the
Census, pursuant to AHRQ's statutory authority to conduct and support
research on healthcare and on systems for the delivery of such care,
including activities with respect to the quality, effectiveness,
efficiency, appropriateness and value of health care services and with
respect to quality measurement and improvement. 42 U.S.C. 299a(a)(1)
and (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 mailed
Establishment Questionnaire is to obtain general information from
employers that provide health insurance to their employees. This
information includes 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 mailed Plan
Questionnaire 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.
(4) 2016-2017 Longitudinal Sample--For 2016 and 2017, an additional
sample of 7,000 employers will be included in the collection. The
sample will include employers of all sizes, however 50 percent of the
sample will be small employers (those with 50 or fewer employees). This
sample, called the Longitudinal Sample (LS), is designed to measure the
impact of the ACA on employer sponsored health insurance and especially
the impact of the SHOP exchanges on small employers. The 2016 LS will
consist of 7,000 private-sector employers that responded to the 2015
MEPS-IC, and the 2017 LS will consist of 7,000 private-sector employers
that responded to the 2016 MEPS-IC. These employers will be surveyed
again in 2016 and 2017--using the same collection methods as the
regular survey--in order to track changes in their health insurance
offerings, characteristics, and costs.
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
The estimated annualized respondent burden hours and costs for the
regular MEPS-IC and the Longitudinal Sample are presented separately
below.
2016-2017 Regular MEPS-IC
Exhibit 1a shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the
respondent's time to participate in the MEPS-IC. The Prescreener
questionnaire will be completed by 27,606 respondents and takes about
5\1/2\ minutes to complete. The Establishment questionnaire will be
completed by 23,814 respondents and takes about 23 minutes to complete.
The Plan questionnaire will be completed by 21,084 respondents and will
require an average of 2.2 responses per respondent. Each Plan
questionnaire takes about 11 minutes to complete. The total annualized
burden hours are estimated to be 19,883 hours.
Exhibit 2a 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 $615,380.
Exhibit 1a--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours for the 2016-2017 MEPS-IC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of
Form name Number of responses per Hours per Total burden
respondents respondent response hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prescreener Questionnaire........................ 27,606 1 0.09 2,485
Establishment Questionnaire...................... 23,814 1 * 0.38 9,049
[[Page 53156]]
Plan Questionnaire............................... 21,084 2.2 0.18 8,349
--------------------------------------------------------------
Total........................................ 72,504 na na 19,883
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* The burden estimate printed on the establishment questionnaire is 45 minutes which includes the burden
estimate for completing the establishment questionnaire, an average of 2.2 plan questionnaires, plus the
prescreener. The establishment and plan questionnaires are sent to the respondent as a package and are
completed by the respondent at the same time.
Exhibit 2a--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden for the 2016-2017 MEPS-IC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average
Form name Number of Total burden hourly wage Total cost
respondents hours rate * burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prescreener Questionnaire....................... 27,606 2,485 30.95 $76,911
Establishment Questionnaire..................... 23,814 9,049 30.95 280,067
Plan Questionnaire.............................. 21,084 8,349 30.95 258,402
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total....................................... 72,504 19,883 na 615,380
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Based upon the mean hourly wage for Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists occupation code 13-
1141, at https://bls.gov/oes/current/oes131141.htm (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.)
2016-2017 Longitudinal Sample
Exhibit 1b shows the estimated annualized burden hours for the
respondent's time to participate in the Longitudinal Sample. The
Prescreener questionnaire will be completed by 4,517 respondents and
takes about 5\1/2\ minutes to complete. The Establishment questionnaire
will be completed by 4,023 respondents and takes about 23 minutes to
complete. The Plan questionnaire will be completed by 3,487 respondents
and will require an average of 2.2 responses per respondent. Each Plan
questionnaire takes about 11 minutes to complete. The total annualized
burden hours are estimated to be 3,317 hours.
Exhibit 2b 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 $102,662.
Exhibit 1b--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours for the 2016-2017 Longitudinal Sample
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of
Form name Number of responses per Hours per Total burden
respondents respondent response hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prescreener Questionnaire........................ 4,517 1 0.09 407
Establishment Questionnaire...................... 4,023 1 * 0.38 1,529
Plan Questionnaire............................... 3,487 2.2 0.18 1,381
--------------------------------------------------------------
Total........................................ 12,027 na na 3,317
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* The burden estimate printed on the establishment questionnaire is 45 minutes which includes the burden
estimate for completing the establishment questionnaire, an average of 2.2 plan questionnaires, plus the
prescreener. The establishment and plan questionnaires are sent to the respondent as a package and are
completed by the respondent at the same time.
Exhibit 2b--Estimated Annualized Cost Burden for the 2016-2017 Longitudinal Sample
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average
Form name Number of Total burden hourly wage Total cost
respondents hours rate * burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prescreener Questionnaire....................... 4,517 407 $30.95 $12,597
Establishment Questionnaire..................... 4,023 1,529 30.95 47,323
Plan Questionnaire.............................. 3,487 1,381 30.95 42,742
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total....................................... 12,027 3,317 na 102,662
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Based upon the mean hourly wage for Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists occupation code 13-
1141, at https://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
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
[[Page 53157]]
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 Agency's subsequent request for OMB approval of the
proposed information collection. All comments will become a matter of
public record.
Sharon Arnold,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 2015-21719 Filed 9-1-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-P
