2142 Rate adjustment

Rate Adjustment

[31 Pa.B. 6585]

   Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 6152 (relating to subpoena of records) the Secretary of Health is directed to adjust annually the amounts which may be charged by a health care facility or health care provider upon receipt of a request or subpoena for production of medical charges or records. Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 6152.1 (relating to limit on changes), the Secretary is directed to make a similar adjustment to the flat fee which may be charged by a health care facility or health care provider for the expense of reproducing medical charts or records where the request is: (1) for the purpose of supporting a claim or appeal under the Social Security Act or any Federal or State financial needs based benefit program; or (2) made by a district attorney.

   The Secretary is directed to base these adjustments on the most recent changes in the consumer price index reported annually by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor. For the annual period of October 30, 2000, through October 30, 2001, the consumer price index was 2.1%.

   Accordingly, the Secretary provides notice that, effective January 1, 2002, the following payments may be charged by a health care facility or health care provider for production of records in response to subpoena or request:

Search and retrieval of records:                  Not to exceed $16.24
Amount charged per page for pages 1-20	$  1.09
Amount charged per page for pages 21-60	$   .82
Amount charged per page for pages 61-end	$   .28
Amount charged per page for microfilm copies	$  1.62
Flat fee for production of records to support claims under Social Security Act or claims under other Federal or State financial needs based benefit programs	$20.57
Flat fee for supplying records requested by a District Attorney	$16.24

   In addition to the amounts listed previously, charges may also be assessed for the actual cost of postage, shipping and delivery of the requested records.

   Questions or inquiries concerning this notice should be sent to: James T. Steele, Jr., Deputy Chief Counsel, Room 825 Health and Welfare Building, P. O. Box 90, Harrisburg, PA 17108, or V/TT [phone] for speech and/or hearing impaired persons or the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Services at [phone] [TT].

ROBERT S. ZIMMERMAN, Jr.,   
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 01-2142. Filed for public inspection November 30, 2001, 9:00 a.m.]