EBSA exercises delegated authority under ERISA to protect workers pensions and group health benefits and has issued regulations under Part 7, codified at 29 C.F.R. 2590.701-1 et seq., to effectuate these rights and provide guidance to affected group health plans pertaining to a number of laws applicable to group health plans, including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Newborns and Mothers Health Protection Act of 1996, the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996, and the WomenÂs Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998. In 2001, EBSA conducted a program to increase compliance with these laws, the Health Disclosure and Clainms Issues: Fiscal Year 2001 Compliance Project (HDCI). EBSA is now planning to conduct a follow-up program to assess the effectiveness of its compliance assistance efforts that will involve the examination of a number and variety of group health plans that is sufficient to constitute a representative sample of existing plans from which EBSA can extrapolate compliance rates for group health plans in general. However, in order to make its assessment meaningful, EBSA must first identify ERISA-covered single-employer group health plans in two groups: (1) plans sponsored by firms with 3-99 employees, and (2) plans sponsored by firms with 100 or more employees. EBSA intends to conduct a narrow-scope, one-time telephone survey of business firms in order to identify a representative sample of large and small group health plans sponsored by private-sector employers. The agency intends to ask each firm a limited number of questions designed to determine whether the firm sponsors a group health plan covered by title I of ERISA and how many employees are covered under the plan. Information identifying such a representative sample is unavailable to EBSA from any other source.
US Code:
29 USC 1143
Name of Law: Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
US Code:
29 USC 1181 et seq.
Name of Law: Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
This is a new collection of information. The information collection consists of a single, limited-scope telephone survey of businesses for the sole purpose of identifying an appropriate sample of group health plans on which to base its assessment of its prior compliance assistance programs. EBSA will ask respondents to answer a limited set of questions designed to determine whether the respondent sponsors a group-health plan covered under title I of ERISA and, if so, how many employees are covered under the plan. The information sought to be gathered is not available to EBSA through any other source. The The purpose of this information collection is to enable EBSA to conduct a follow-up program to evaluate the effectiveness of its prior compliance assistance efforts.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
EBSA response to AHIP Comment.doc
HDCI 2 - BLS approval.pdf
HDCI 2 Survey of Group Health Plans