Fees for Information (Contractors)

21 - Fees for Information (Contractors) (Rev. 1, 09-11-02) Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, certain fees and charges have been established to recover some of the cost of disclosing information to the public. Providers, contractors, and State agencies are required to pay appropriate fees for copies of reports they request pertaining to other providers, contractors, or State agencies. Such fees are not reimbursable administrative costs under the Medicare program for contractors or State agencies. A provider may claim such fees as allowable costs only if it demonstrates that the information is necessary in developing and maintaining the operation of patient care facilities and activities. Members of Congress, when clearly requesting information on behalf of a constituent or other third party, are subject to the same fees and charges that would apply to the person represented. The contractor will not charge the public for inspection of disclosable documents, or for requests which result in charges under the minimum described in §21.3, below.