Federal Register: October 16, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 200)
DOCID: FR Doc 03-26126
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
NOTICE: NOTICES
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by December 15, 2003.
DOCUMENT 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) allow the proposed information collection project: ``Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component and Medical Provider Component (MEPSHC and MEPSMPC)2004 and 2005''. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 10413 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), AHRQ invites the public to comment on this proposed information collection.
SUMMARY:
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Proposed Project
``Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component and Medical Provider Component (MEPSHC and MPC)2004 and 2005''.
The AHRQ intends to conduct an annual panel survey of U.S. households and medical providers to collect information on a variety of measures related to health status, health insurance coverage, health care use and expenditures, and source of payment for health services. This collection project consists of two parts: The MEPS Household Component (HC) and the MEPS Medical Provider Component (MPC).
Each panel of the MEPSHC consists of a nationally representative sample of U.S. households with a data collection period covering 2\1/2\ years.
This time frame allows for the collection of annual data from the MEPS sample that covers their health care experiences over two consecutive calendar years. The first panel of MEPS began in 1996 and a new panel has been initiated annually thereafter. The MEPSHC is jointly sponsored by the AHRQ and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
The MEPSHC will be conducted using a sample of households selected from households which responded to
[[Page 59617]]
the previous year's National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) sponsored
by NCHS. The NHIS is a household survey which collects health data from
approximately 50,000 households and 110,000 individuals. The NHIS is
used as the sampling frame for the MEPS and several other surveys as
part of efforts by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to integrate survey data collection activities.
Data to be collected from each household include detailed information on demographics, health conditions, current health status, utilization of health care providers, charges and payments for health care services, quality of care received, medications, employment and health insurance.
The purpose of the MEPSMPC is to supplement the information provided by household respondents in the MEPSHC about the use of medical services in the United States based on a nationally representative sample. The MEPSHC will be conducted with the permission of members of the households surveyed in the MEPSHC. The AHRQ contractor will contact the medical providers of the HC Survey respondents to determine the actual dates of service, the diagnoses, the services provided, the amount that was charged, the amount that was paid and the source of payment. Thus, the MPC is derived from or is based upon the core survey, (MEPSHC). The MPC confirms and/or improves the quality of the core survey data.
Data from household respondents in the MEPS Household Component for calendar year 2004, will be collected, beginning in 2004, and continuing into the year 2005, data for calendar year 2005 will be collected, beginning in 2005, and continuing into the year 2006.
Data from medical providers linked to household respondents in the MEPS Household Component for calendar year 2004, will be collected, beginning in 2005, and continuing into the year 2006, provider data for calendar year 2005 will be collected, beginning in 2006, and continuing into the year 2007.
Data Confidentiality Provisions
MEPS data confidentiality is protected under the AHRQ and NCHS Confidentiality statutes, section 308(d) and section 924(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242m(d) and 42 U.S.C. 299c3(c), respectively).
In accordance with AHRQ and NCHS confidentiality statutes,
statistical and nonidentifying data will be made available through
publications, articles in major journals as well as public use data
files. The statistical and analytic data are intended to be used for purposes such as:
[sbull] Generating national estimates of individual and family
health care use and expenditures, private and public health insurance
coverage, and the availability, costs and scope of private health insurance benefits among Americans;
[sbull] Examining the effects of changes in how chronic care and disability are managed and financed;
[sbull] Evaluating the growing impact of managed care and of enrollment in different types of managed care plans; and,
[sbull] Examining access to and costs of health care for common
diseases and conditions, health care quality, prescription drug use, and other health issues.
Statisticians and researchers will use these data to make important generalizations about the health care of civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States, as well as to conduct research in which the household is the unit of analysis.
Methods of Collection
Data from the MEPSHS will be collected using a combination of modes. For example, the AHRQ intends to introduce study participants to the survey through advance mailings. The first contact will provide the household the information regarding the importance and uses of the information obtained. The AHRQ will then conduct five (inperson) interviews with each household to obtain health care use and expense data for 2 calendar years. Data will be collected using a computer assisted personal interviewing method (CAPI). In certain cases, AHRQ will conduct interviews over the telephone, if necessary respondents may be asked to respond to 1 or more short selfadministered questionnaires over the course of the survey.
The medial provider survey will be conducted predominantly by telephone, but may include selfadministered mail surveys, if requested by the respondent.
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden per year for the MEPS HC: Each
MEPS participant is asked to complete 5 interviews over two and one
half years. Each interview averages 1.8 hours in length. Total burden is estimated in the following chart:
MEPS Household Component Estimated Burden for 2004 and 2005
Burden per
Survey period Number of complete Total burden
completes (hours) (hours)
JanuaryJuly `04................................................ 22,037 1.8 39,667
AugustDecember `04............................................. 14,746 1.8 26,543
JanuaryJuly `05................................................ 22,418 1.8 40,352
AugustDecember `05............................................. 15,003 1.8 27,005
JanuaryJuly `06................................................ 14,838 1.8 26,708
Total....................................................... .............. .............. 160,275
Estimated Annual Respondent Burden per year for the MEPS MPC: The
MPC for Calendar Year 2004 and 2005 estimated annual hour burden is as follows:
Number of Average
Number of Average No. patients/ Average No. burden/ Total hours
Type of provider respondents of patents/ provider of events/ event of burden
provider pairs patient (minutes) MPC 2004:
Hospital Officebased......... 5,502 2.2 12,105 3.2 5 3,227
Doctor........................ 23,077 1.3 30,000 3.5 5 8,750
Separately billing doctor..... 17,143 1.4 24,000 1.3 5 2,600 [[Page 59618]]
Home Health................... 545 1.1 600 5.8 5 290
Pharmacy...................... 8,077 2.6 21,000 10.3 3 10,815
Total..................... 54,344 ........... 87,705 ........... ........... 25,682 ==============
MPC 2005:
Hospital Office............... 5,310 2.2 11,681 3.2 5 3,115
Doctor........................ 22,269 1.3 28,950 3.5 5 8,444
Separately billing doctor..... 16,543 1.4 23,160 1.3 5 2,509
Home Health................... 526 1.1 579 5.8 5 280
Pharmacy...................... 7,794 2.6 20,265 10.3 3 10,436
Total..................... 52,442 ........... 84,635 ........... ........... 24,784 Request for Comments
In accordance with the above cited legislation, comments on the AHRQ 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 functions of AHRQ, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the AHRQ's estimate of burden (including hours and cost) 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 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 request for OMB approval of the proposed
information collection. All comments will become a matter of public record.
Dated: October 9, 2003.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 0326126 Filed 101503; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 416090M
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Cynthia D. McMichael, AHRQ, Reports Clearance Officer, (301) 4271651.