On November 22, HFMA, the American Hospital Association, and eight other healthcare groups addressed a letter to HCFA Administrator Nancy-Ann DeParle requesting an increase in the agency’s reimbursement to hospitals for photocopying expenses. The letter stated that the rate of $0.07 per page set in 1992 “was significantly below the market rate when set and ignored the cost of search and retrieval.” Because hospitals must provide documentation upon request by a peer review organization (PRO), photocopying expense associated with a PRO review can be substantial.

The letter did not specify what the per-page increase should be, but noted that HCFA charges “$0.10 per page with a search-and-retrieval fee averaging between $25-$50 per search” when fulfilling a Freedom of Information Act request.