[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 88 (Thursday, May 6, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25408-25409]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-10330]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of Inspector General


Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank: Change in Self-
Query Fee

AGENCY: Office of Inspector General (OIG), HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department is authorized under 45 CFR part 61, the 
regulations implementing the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data 
Bank (HIPDB), to assess a fee on all requests for information, except 
requests from Federal agencies. In accordance with the HIPDB 
regulations, we are announcing a two-dollar decrease in the fee to 
practitioners, providers, and suppliers who request information about 
themselves (self-query) from the HIPDB. The new fee to self-query the 
HIPDB will be $8.00. There will be no change to the $4.25 charged for 
each query submitted by authorized entities to access the data bank.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The fee is effective on July 1, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joel Schaer, Office of Management and 
Policy, (202) 619-0089.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

User Fee Amount

    Section 1128E(d)(2) of the Social Security Act (the Act), as added 
by section 221(a) of the Health Insurance Portability and 
Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, specifically authorizes the 
establishment of fees for the costs of processing requests for 
disclosure and for providing information from the Healthcare Integrity 
and Protection Data Bank (HIPDB). Final regulations at 45 CFR part 61 
set forth the criteria and procedures for information to be reported to 
and disclosed by the HIPDB. The Act also requires that the Department 
recover the full costs of operating the HIPDB through such user fees. 
In determining any changes in the amount of the user fee, the 
Department employs the criteria set forth in Sec.  61.13(b) of the 
HIPDB regulations.
    Specifically, Sec.  61.13(b) states that the amount of each fee 
will be determined based on the following criteria:
     Direct and indirect personnel costs;

[[Page 25409]]

     Physical overhead, consulting, and other indirect costs 
including rent and depreciation on land, buildings and equipment;
     Agency management and supervisory costs;
     Costs of enforcement, research and establishment of 
regulations and guidance;
     Use of electronic data processing equipment to collect and 
maintain information, i.e., the actual cost of the service, including 
computer search time, runs and printouts; and
     Any other direct or indirect costs related to the 
provision of services.
    The current fee structure of $10.00 for each self-query by a 
practitioner, provider, or suppler was announced in a Federal Register 
notice on March 3, 2000 (65 FR 11589). Based on the above criteria and 
our analysis of operational costs and the comparative costs of the 
various methods for filing and paying for queries, the Department is 
now lowering the self-query fee by two dollars--from $10.00 to $8.00.
    When an authorized self-query is submitted for information by a 
practitioner, provider, or supplier, the appropriate total fee will be 
$8.00 multiplied by the number of individuals or organizations about 
whom the information is being requested.
    In order to minimize administrative costs, the Department will 
continue to accept payment for self-queries only by credit card. The 
HIPDB accepts Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. To submit queries, 
practitioners, providers, and suppliers must use the HIPDB Web site at 
http://www.npdb-hipdb.com.
    The Department will continue to review user fees periodically for 
the HIPDB, and will revise such fees as necessary. Any future changes 
in fees and their effective date will be announced through notice in 
the Federal Register.

Examples

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Fee per name
                                  in query, by
          Query method              method of            Examples
                                     payment
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Self-query.....................           $8.00  10 self-queries: 10 x
                                                  $8.00 = $80.00.
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    Dated: April 12, 2004.
Dara Corrigan,
Acting Principal Deputy Inspector General.
[FR Doc. 04-10330 Filed 5-5-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4152-01-P