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| FTC Delays Red Flag Rules until December 31st |
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by Iris Kimberg MS PT, OTR - June 29, 2010
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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has delayed the enforcement of the “Red Flags” Rule from June 1, 2010, until December 31, 2010, while Congress considers legislation that would affect the scope of entities covered by the Rule. The Red Flags Rule requires that certain entities develop and implement written identity theft prevention and detection programs to protect consumers from identity theft. The FTC has stated that physicians, physical therapists, and other health care providers must comply with the Red Flag Rules if they accept insurance and bill patients after services are provided. Originally scheduled for a November 1, 2008, compliance date, the FTC delayed the enforcement to May 1, 2009, and then again to August 1, 2009, November 1, 2009, and June 1, 2010.
The FTC has provided guidance though materials posted on a dedicated Red Flags Rule Web site, including a template that enables low risk entities to create an identity theft program with an on-line form.
HR 3763, a revised version of the bill HR 2345, was passed by the US House of Representatives on October 20, 2009, and referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. This bill would exclude health care practices with fewer than 20 employees from being interpreted as creditors as outlined in the Red Flags Guidelines.
Iris Kimberg MS PT, OTR, has worked in the non-clinical aspect of therapy for the past 27 years. She is the founder of NY Therapy Guide (www.nytherapyguide.com), a site dedicated to the growth, viability and success of therapists in private practice. Iris offers workshops, workbooks and private consultations on business topics related to private practice. She teaches Marketing and Entrepreneurship in the DPT Program at Columbia University, and writes the Taking Care of Business Column for Merion Publications. Iris can be reached atinfonytherapy@aol.com.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
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