ATTACHMENT R -- OMB Memo

AHRQ's Response to OMB's Questions About the MEPS-IC

       It was stated in Part B that: “The total budgeted sample size is approximately 45,000 sample units before non-response and out-of-scope units (in some past survey years, individual States have paid to increase the sample for their State in order to provide more accurate or detailed State or sub-State estimates; none of those units are included in these sample sizes).”  I wasn’t clear why AHRQ is not including the burden for the entire sample, regardless of whether some States have paid for additional sample or not.   

 

 

The burden for the entire MEPS-IC sample is included in this submission.  No additional units have been paid for by individual States for 2011 or 2012 and none are anticipated.  In the early years of the MEPS Insurance Component survey there were several instances where states purchased additional sample - either individually or through the HRSA State Planning Grant program.  However, the last year that an individual state added sample to the MEPS-IC survey was Virginia in 2003.  In the event that a state does request additional sample in the MEPS-IC survey in future years, we will either include that sample in our biannual clearance request or submit a request to the existing clearance to change the burden level of the survey.