Baltimore The Health Care Financing Administration is proposing to establish national Medicare fee schedules for parenteral and enteral nutrients, equipment and supplies.

The fees would be equal to the lower of the actual charge for the service or the amount determined under the proposed fee schedule payment methodology. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 limited reasonable charges for 1998-2002 for PEN to reasonable charges calculated in 1995. The PEN fee schedules would receive a consumer price index update in 2003. Comments on the proposed regulation are due Sept. 29, 1999.-K.G.