[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 75 (Friday, April 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21934-21935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-08830]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


National Practitioner Data Bank: Change in User Fees

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration, Department 
of Health and Human Services, is announcing a decrease in user fees 
charged to individuals and entities authorized to request information 
from the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). The new fee will be 
$3.00 for both continuous and one-time queries and $5.00 for self-
queries.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The current fee structure ($3.25/continuous 
query enrollment, $4.75/one-time query, and $8.00/self-query) was last 
announced in the Federal Register on March 10, 2006 (71 FR 12367), and 
became effective on May 9, 2006. One-time queries, continuous query

[[Page 21935]]

enrollments, and self-queries are submitted and query responses are 
received through the NPDB's secure Web site. Fees are paid via 
electronic funds transfer, debit card, 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.). Further, two additional statutes expanded the scope of 
the NPDB--Section 1921 of the Social Security Act, as amended (42 
U.S.C. 1396r-2) and Section 1128E of the Social Security Act, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 1320a-7e). Information collected under the Section 
1128E authority was consolidated within the NPDB pursuant to Section 
6403 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Public Law 111-
148; this consolidation became effective on May 6, 2013.
    42 U.S.C. 11137(b)(4), 42 U.S.C. 1396r-2(e), and 42 U.S.C. 1320a-
7e(d) authorize the establishment of fees for the costs of processing 
requests for disclosure of 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. In determining any changes in 
the amount of user fees, the Department uses the criteria set forth in 
section 60.19(b) of the regulations, as well as allowable costs 
pursuant to Public Law 113-76. Section 60.19(b) states: ``The amount of 
each fee will be determined based on the following criteria: (1) Direct 
and indirect personnel costs, including salaries and fringe benefits 
such as medical insurance and retirement, (2) Physical overhead, 
consulting, and other indirect costs (including materials and supplies, 
utilities, insurance, travel, and rent and depreciation on land, 
buildings, and equipment), (3) Agency management and supervisory costs, 
(4) Costs of enforcement, research, and establishment of regulations 
and guidance, (5) Use of electronic data processing equipment to 
collect and maintain information--the actual cost of the service, 
including computer search time, runs and printouts, and (6) Any other 
direct or indirect costs related to the provision of services.''
    The Department will continue to review the user fees periodically 
as required by Office of Management and Budget Circular Number A-25, 
and will revise fees as necessary. Any future changes in user fees and 
their effective dates will be announced in the Federal Register. This 
change will be effective October 1, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, Division of Practitioner 
Data Banks, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services 
Administration, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 8-103, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857; telephone number: (301) 443-2300.

    Dated: April 10, 2014.
Mary Wakefield,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014-08830 Filed 4-17-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P