RED FLAGS RULE AND IDENTITY THEFT- ENFORCEMENT DELAYED YET AGAIN

In a not surprising turn of events, days before the June 1st deadline, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced that it is again delaying the enforcement of the identity theft regulations through December 31, 2010. This latest delay came at the request of certain members of Congress while Congress considers legislation that would affect the scope of entities covered by the identity theft regulations. This is the 5th time that the enforcement has been delayed and physicians are hopeful that a permanent solution will be forthcoming. The legislation under consideration would exempt from the law health care practices with fewer than 20 employees. The FTC’s official announcement can be found here. HLP will continue to keep you updated on this topic.