[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 133 (Wednesday, July 11, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36289-36290]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-17409]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


National Practitioner Data Bank; Change in User Fee

    The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department 
of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is announcing a one dollar 
increase in the fee charged to entities authorized to request 
information from the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) for all 
queries. The new fee will be $5.00 and there, will be no change to the 
$10.00 self-query fee.
    The current fee structure ($4.00 per name) was announced in the 
Federal Register on January 29, 1998 (63 FR 4460). All entity queries 
are submitted and query responses received through the NPDB's 
Integrated Query and Reporting Service (IQRS) and paid via an 
electronic funds transfer or credit card.
    The NPDB is authorized by the Health Care Quality Improvement Act 
of 1986 (the Act), Title IV of Public Law 99-660, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
11101 et seq.). Section 427(b)(4) of the Act authorizes the 
establishment of fees for the costs of processing requests for 
disclosure and of providing such information.
    Final regulations at 45 CFR part 60 set forth the criteria and 
procedures for information to be reported to and disclosed by the NPDB. 
Section 60.3 of these regulations defines the terms used in this 
announcement.
    In determining any changes in the amount of the user fee, the 
Department uses the criteria set forth in Sec. 60.12 (b) of the 
regulations, as well as allowable costs pursuant to Title II of the 
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2001, P.L. 106-554, enacted Dec. 
21, 2000. This Act requires that the Department recover the full costs 
of operating the Data Bank through user fees. Paragraph (b) of the 
regulations states:

    ``The amount of each fee will be determined based on the 
following criteria:
    (1) Use of electronic data processing equipment to obtain 
information--the actual cost for the service, including computer 
search time, runs, printouts, and time of computer programmers and 
operators, or other employees,
    (2) Photocopying or other forms of reproduction, such as 
magnetic tapes--actual cost of the operator's time, plus the cost of 
the machine time and the materials used,
    (3) Postage--actual cost, and
    (4) Sending information by special methods requested by the 
applicant, such as express mail or electronic transfer the actual 
cost of the special service.''

    Based on analysis of the comparative costs of the various methods 
for filing and paying for queries, the Department is raising all the 
entity query fees by $1.00 per name. The practitioner self-query fee 
remains at $10. This price increase is necessitated by increased 
technical labor costs, equipment upgrades, and improvements to the 
NPDB's computer system. Since the last fee increase, the system has 
been migrated from QPRAC, a dial-up client server system, to the web-
based IQRS. The IQRS provides a secure mechanism for faster, more 
convenient, reporting and querying.
    This change is effective October 1, 2001.
    When a query is for information on one or more physicians, 
dentists, or other health care practitioners, the appropriate fee will 
be $5.00 multiplied by the number of individuals about whom information 
is being requested. For examples, see the table below.
    The Department will continue to review the user fee periodically, 
and will revise it as necessary. Any changes in the fee and their 
effective date will be announced in the Federal Register.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Fee per
            Query method               name in            Examples
                                        query
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Entity query (Via Internet with            $5.00  10 names in query.
 electronic payment)..                             10x$5=$50.00.
 Practitioner self-query...........        10.00  One self-query=$10.00.
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[[Page 36290]]

    Dated: July 6, 2001.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 01-17409 Filed 7-10-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P