[Federal Register: March 10, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 46)] [Notices] [Page 11910-11911] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr10mr99-91] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Health Care Policy and Research Agency Information Collection Activities Proposed Collection: Comment Request AGENCY: Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, HHS. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: This notice announces the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research's (AHCPR) intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to allow a proposed information collection of the ``Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Medical Provider Component (MEPS- MPC) for 1998, 1999, and 2000.'' In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), AHCPR invites the public to comment on this proposed information collection. DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by May 10, 1999. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Ruth A. Celtnieks, Reports Clearance Officer, AHCPR, 2101 East Jefferson Street, Suite 500, Rockville, MD 20852-4908. All comments will become a matter of public record. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ruth A. Celtnieks, AHCPR Reports Clearance Officer, (301) 594-6659. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposed Project; Medical Panel Expenditure Survey--Medical Provider Component (MEPS-MPC) for 1998 and 1999 and 2000 The MEPS-MPC is a survey of hospitals, physicians and other medical providers. The purpose of this survey is to supplement and verify the information provided by household respondents in the household component of the MEPS (MEPS-HC) about the use of medical services. With the permission of members of the households surveyed in the MEPS-HC, we plan to contact their medical providers 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, the MEPS-HC. The MEPS-HC to be conducted will provide annual, nationally representative estimates of health care use, expenditures, sources of payment and insurance coverage for the U.S. civilian non- institutionalized population. MEPS is cosponsored by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) and the National Center For Health Statistics (NCHS). MEPS data confidentiality is protected under sections 308(d) and 903(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242m and 42 U.S.C. 299 a-1). Data from medical providers linked to household respondents in the MEPS-HC for calendar year 1998 will be collected beginning in 1999 and continuing into the year 2000, data for calendar year 1999 will be collected beginning in 2000 and continue into the year 2001. Data for calendar year 2000 will be collected beginning in 2001 and continue into the year 2002. Method of Collection The medical provider survey will be conducted predominantly by telephone, but may include self-administered mail surveys, if requested by the respondent. The estimated annual hour burden is as follows; -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average No. of Average No. of Type of provider No. of patients/ events/ Average burden/event Total hours of respondents providers patient burden -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hospital.................................... 3500 2 3.2 5 min. (.083 hrs.)........................ 1859 Office-based Doctor......................... 8500 1.3 3.5 5 min..................................... 3210 Separately Billing Doctor................... 8000 1 1.3 5 min..................................... 863 Home Health................................. 500 1.1 5.8 5 min..................................... 265 Pharmacy.................................... 6000 1.8 10.3 3 min..................................... 5562 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [[Page 11911]] Estimated Annual Burden Total: 11759. Request for Comments Comments are invited on: (a) The necessity of the proposed collection; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of burden 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/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection. Copies of these proposed collection plans and instruments can be obtained from the AHCPR Reports Clearance Officer (see above). Dated: March 2, 1999. John M. Eisenberg, Administrator. [FR Doc. 99-5951 Filed 3-9-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4160-90-M