Office of the Federal Register (OFR)

Federal Register Frequently Asked Questions

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For more information about our publications system, contact us:

These reference questions are ones that Federal Register editors frequently hear.

  1. Are there any IRS regulations/documents on file today?
     
  2. Medicare and Medicaid:
    • How Can I Find the Latest Physician Fee Schedule?
    • How Can I Find the Latest Relative Value Units (RVU's)?
    • How Can I Find the Latest Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System document?
    • How Can I Find the Latest List of Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG's)?
       
  3. How Can I Find the Latest List Of Physician Shortage Areas?
     
  4. How Can I Find the Latest per diem rates for Government travel?
     
  5. Public Laws:
    • What is the Public Law number for a recently signed law?
    • How can I get a copy of a recent Public Law?
       
  6. How do I find out about grants?
     
  7. I am reading a document in the Federal Register. What does it mean? Does it affect me?
     
  8. Is the Office of the Federal Register (OFR) the organization to contact for social security numbers, tax refunds or other Government benefits and financial services?

1. Are there any IRS regulations/documents on file today?

Consult our List of Documents on Public Inspection to find out if documents from the Internal Revenue Service, or any other Federal agency, are on file for public inspection.

 


Medicare and Medicaid:

  • How Can I Find the Latest Physician Fee Schedule?
  • How Can I Find the Latest RVU's (Relative Value Units)?

A document that amends "Physician Fee Schedule" and "RVU's (Relative Value Units)" appeared recently in the November 29, 2010 Federal Register

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also makes these documents available on its web site, http://www.cms.hhs.gov, under "Regulations," "The CMS Quarterly Provider Update."

Background.

The CMS publishes a document that amends "Physician Fee Schedule" and "RVU's (Relative Value Units)" annually in the Federal Register, first as a Proposed Rule, and later as a Final Rule, under the heading:

Medicare:
Physician fee schedule; payment policies and relative value units

To retrieve earlier publications of this document, go to the online Federal Register on FDsys:

Click the Issue the document was published in, look under "Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services" and download the document in PDF or txt format

If you don't know the exact date of the Federal Register in which the document was printed, you can locate the document at FDsys by selecting "Federal Register " from Available Collections. In the "Search In " field, type "Physician fee schedule" or "Relative value units", and clicking "Search".

To purchase a single copy of the Federal Register, or enter an annual subscription:

  • Phone the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, at 202 512-1800.
  • Visit GPO's Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov/ or
  • See the ordering information on p. II of any Federal Register.

You can also refer to copies of the Federal Register at any Federal Depository Library.

For regulations governing the Physicians' Fee Schedule and RVU's refer to Parts 410 and 415 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations (42 CFR Parts 410 and 415).

 

  • How Can I Find the Latest Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System document?
  • How Can I Find the Latest List of Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG's)?

A document that amends "Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems" and "DRG's (Diagnosis Related Groups)" appeared recently in the August 16, 2010 Federal Register

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also makes these documents available on its web site, http://www.cms.hhs.gov, under "Regulations," "The CMS Quarterly Provider Update."

Background. The CMS publishes a document that amends "Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems" and "DRG's (Diagnosis Related Groups)" annually in the Federal Register, first as a Proposed Rule, and later as a Final Rule, under the heading:

Medicare:
Hospital inpatient prospective payment systems

To retrieve earlier publications of this document, go to the online Federal Register on FDsys:

Click the Issue the document was published in, look under "Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services" and download the document in PDF or txt format

If you don't know the exact date of the Federal Register in which the document was printed, you can locate the document at FDsys by selecting "Federal Register " from Available Collections. In the "Search In " field, type "Hospital inpatient prospective payment systems" or "Diagnosis Related Groups", and click "Search".

To purchase a single copy of the Federal Register, or enter an annual subscription:

  • Phone the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, at 202 512-1800.
  • Visit GPO's Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov/ or
  • See the ordering information on p. II of any Federal Register.

You can also refer to copies of the Federal Register at any Federal Depository Library.

For regulations governing these programs, refer to Parts 400 and 409 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations (42 CFR Parts 400 and 409).

 


3. How Can I Find the Latest List Of Physician Shortage Areas?

The Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, publishes this information in the Notices section of the Federal Register. It is listed in the Federal Register Index and Tables of Contents under the topic Heading:

Medical professional shortage areas:
Primary medical care, mental health care,
and dental health care; designations
and withdrawals list

You can locate them online by searching FDsys and selecting "Federal Register " from Available Collections. In the "Search In " field, type "shortage areas" and click "Search".

To purchase a single copy of the Federal Register, or enter an annual subscription:

  • Phone the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, at 202 512-1800.
  • Visit GPO's Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov/ or
  • See the ordering information on p. II of any Federal Register.

You can also refer to copies of the Federal Register at any Federal Depository Library.

 


4. How Can I Find the Latest per diem rates for Government travel?

The General Services Administration publishes allowable per diem rates for government travel in the Federal Register as a Proposed Rule and a Final Rule, under the topical heading:

Federal travel:
Per diem localities; maximum lodging and meal
allowances

The "complete" GSA per diem regulations last appeared at 62 FR 63798, Dec. 2, 1997.

To purchase a single copy of the Federal Register, or enter an annual subscription:

  • Phone the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, at 202 512-1800.
  • Visit GPO's Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov/ or
  • See the ordering information on p. II of any Federal Register.

You can also refer to copies of the Federal Register at any Federal Depository Library.

For regulations governing these programs, refer to Chapter 301 of Title 41 of the Code of Federal Regulations (41 CFR Ch. 301).

 


5. Public Laws

  • What is the Public Law number for a recently signed law?
  • How can I get a copy of a recent Public Law?

For detailed answers to these questions, see our information about Public Laws, and our List of Public Laws.

 


6. How do I find out about grants?

To locate information about grants in the Federal Register, refer to the Federal Register Index, under the names of the Federal agencies most likely to have the kinds of grants in which you are interested, or you can search for this information in the online Federal Register.

Persons interested in grants should also consult:

 


7. I am reading a document in the Federal Register. What does it mean? Does it affect me?

For information about any document that appears in the Federal Register or Code of Federal Regulations, contact the agency that issued the document. Federal Register Staff members will not interpret or explain any regulations other than our own, which appear in 1 CFR Chapter I.

Every Final Rule and Proposed Rule in the Federal Register provides the name, phone number, and often the e-mail address of a knowledgable agency official. Look near the beginning of the document, under "FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:"

These online resources can also help you navigate the Federal structure:

USA.gov, the U.S. government's official web portal.
United States Government Manual, published by the Office of the Federal Register.
National Contact Center, Federal Citizen Information Center.
Federal Web Locator Center for Information Law and Policy, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology.

 


8. Is the Office of the Federal Register (OFR) the organization to contact for social security numbers, tax refunds or other Government benefits and financial services?

No, the OFR publishes Federal legal documents. We do not accept applications for Government benefits or register personal information. Be wary of organizations that offer to provide Government services for a fee. Most Federal agencies, such as the Social Security Administration ( http://www.ssa.gov) and the Internal Revenue Service ( http://www.irs.gov) deal directly with citizens and provide information on benefits and services free of charge.

You should report false representation schemes and consumer fraud to law enforcement agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission ( http://www.ftc.gov), your state Attorney General ( http://www.naag.org/), and the United States Postal Inspection Service ( http://www.usps.gov/).

 

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