Doctors win 4th delay of FTC "red flag" rules

Doctors have won a fourth delay in enforcement of the FTC's "red flags" rules, which would require them to establish and kick off a formal policy for finding and preventing identity theft. The AMA has claimed that the rules, which treat physicians as creditors, would impose too much of a strain on practices.

The FTC has delayed enforcement of the rule until June 1, 2010, the fourth such delay to be imposed. The AMA hopes to see a bill put into place which would permanently exempt practices with 20 or fewer employees from having to comply with the FTC rules.

Meanwhile, a recent case brought by the American Bar Association won a preliminary ruling blocking the agency form applying the rules to attorneys. If the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia's ruling is upheld on the basis that the FTC overreached, this could help doctors make the same case, attorneys say.

To learn more about this issue:
- read this American Medical News article

Related Articles:
FTC cracks down on medical identity theft
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The growing problem of medical identity theft

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