FTC Still Requiring Providers to Comply with Identity Theft Rule
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said it still expects health care providers to comply with a rule requiring financial institutions and creditors to develop and implement identity theft prevention programs.
In a letter to the American Medical Association (AMA), the FTC said providers who regularly bill for services rendered are considered creditors and are subject to the
“red flags” rule, which goes into effect June 1, 2010.
The AMA said it disagrees with this interpretation of “creditor” and will continue to appeal to the FTC and the Obama administration.
An
earlier article from the Pennsylvania Medical Society reported on the dispute over whether common billing and collection practices make physician practices subject to the rule.
This
report from the World Privacy Forum discusses how the rule applies to health care providers. (Requires
Adobe Acrobat Reader).
Last Updated: 11/9/2009