National Practitioner Data Bank: Change in User Fees

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 $2.00 for both continuous and one-time queries and $4.00 for self- queries. The reduction in NPDB user fees is intended to encourage new users while ensuring sufficient funds to the full cost of NPDB operations and retain appropriate cash reserves. The goals of the cash reserves are to mitigate risks, cover operational costs should revenue decrease, and cover the cost of reasonable enhancement and maintenance of the NPDB management system. HRSA has the standard operating procedure of reviewing NPDB user fees every 2 years. The biennial review of NPDB user fees offers HRSA the opportunity to evaluate its reserves as well as revenue relative to costs. Further, the review provides essential information on whether the fee rates and authorized activities are aligned with actual program costs and activities, and can help promote greater understanding of the fee by NPDB users.