ALERT

FTC delays enforcement date for ‘Red Flag Rules’

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on Thursday that it will delay enforcement of the Red Flag Rules from May 1, 2009 until August 1, 2009. This is the second time that the FTC has delayed enforcement of these rules, as the original enforcement date of November 1, 2008 was delayed until May 1, 2009. To read the FTC press release on the delay, click here.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has indicated that it will use this time to continue to try to convince the FTC and Congress that physicians are not “creditors” under the law and therefore should not be subject to the Red Flag Rules. The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) joined the AMA and numerous other medical societies in sending a letter in opposition to the FTC’s position that the Red Flag Rules apply to physicians. To read that letter, click here.

The Society has published articles on the Red Flag Rules as well as a toolkit to assist physicians with compliance. To view the most recent article, as well as a link to the toolkit, click here.

If any changes occur related to the Red Flag Rules’ applicability to physicians, the Society will alert its members in future issues of Medigram.