MIHOPE Memo Addition to Baseline Survey 25jul13

To: Brenda Aguilar, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE); Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: July 29, 2013

RE: Change to Maternal and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation (MIHOPE) Baseline Survey (OMB #0970-0402)

In July 2012, OMB approved a baseline survey for the MIHOPE project (OMB #0970-0402). OPRE recently became aware of a change that was made to the survey after OMB approval that was not submitted to OIRA for review. The MIHOPE team has ceased collection of the additional item. Through this memo, we are reporting this error to OIRA and requesting permission to add this question to the approved survey.

Specifically, the following question (#H1d) was added to the baseline survey immediately after a question that asks for the respondent’s Social Security Number:

“Next, what is your Medicaid ID number? Like your e-mail address and all other information collected, this will be kept confidential. It will be used to help us find you, or to confirm your identity when we need to talk to you again for the follow-up survey or for obtaining your Medicaid health records.”

This question was added when the team realized we would be able to access Medicaid administrative data for MIHOPE and to do so we would need a Medicaid ID number. It has been in the survey since we began using the survey in Fall 2012. As of July 16, 2013, 184 individuals had been asked this question (the question is asked only of respondents who earlier in the interview said they were receiving Medicaid), of which 83 provided a Medicaid ID and 101 refused or said they didn’t know the number.