Privacy Act of 1974; system of records--HCFA. Notice of proposed new routine use for existing system of records.

One of the top priorities of HHS is to assure high quality and effective health care. HCFA is proposing to revise the system notice for the Medicare Bill File (Statistics). System No. 09-70-0005, by adding a new routine use for release of Medicare Hospital Mortality Information which is derived from data in the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) File, and other files available to HCFA. The purpose of this routine use is to allow individuals hospitals to participate in quality of care studies and activities by using data that they have previously supplied to HCFA. This new routine use will allow release to individual hospitals of patient-specific data including mortality predictors which have been statistically derived.