The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Red Flag Rule is delayed until June 1, 2010. The delay comes at the request of Members of Congress. This is the fourth time the FTC has put off the enforcement of the controversial rule, which requires "creditors" and "financial institutions" to develop and implement written identity theft prevention programs.

The FTC held the position that physician practices fell under the definition of "creditor" if they did not require full payment upfront from their patients. The physician community, including the AOA, opposed the FTC's position and called on the agency to exempt physicians from compliance. In addition to the regulatory burdens, the AOA was concerned that the Red Flag Rule could have serious consequences to patient access to care.

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed legislation that would exempt certain businesses, such as physician practices, from complying with the rule. It should be noted that the rule originates from the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, in which Congress directed the FTC and other agencies to develop regulations requiring "creditors" and "financial institutions" to address the risk of identity theft.

Medical identity theft is a small but potentially growing problem as more physicians adopt electronic health records. While the compliance deadline is now June 1, 2010, physician practices should be knowledgeable about medical identity theft and consider taking precautions.

DO Day on Capitol Hill has a Facebook Fan Page!
Visit the page

DO Day on Capitol Hill is the preeminent opportunity for DOs and students to come to Washington, DC, and lobby Members of Congress and their staff face-to-face. To further promote DO Day, the AOA has created a fan page via Facebook to provide current information.

Register Now for the next Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, February 18
8:30pm Eastern

Congress is still in process of sorting out the next course of action on any type of health care reform legislation and many physicians are left wondering what this will mean for the looming 21.2% cut to Medicare physician payments, not to mention their patients, practice and profession.

The AOA is pleased to announce that it will be joining with the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association (FOMA) to present the next in the series of Virtual Town Hall meetings both live and via the web at the 107th Annual FOMA Convention on Thursday, February 18th at 8:30pm Eastern.

Please join us live or via the web for this critically timed event as we will be within 10 days of the impending 21% cut to Medicare physician payments.

REGISTER NOW!

Save the Date for DO Day on Capitol Hill 2010

It might seem like DO Day on Capitol Hill just happened, but it's already time to pencil next year's event on your calendar.

The 2010 DO Day on Capitol Hill will be held on April 29, 2010.

If you participated in this year's big day, we encourage you to return to Washington and maintain the relationships you formed on Capitol Hill. If you were unable to make it in 2009, start planning now so you don't miss out again.