You now have until June 1, 2010, to implement the anti-identity theft provisions of the Federal Trade Commission's so-called Red Flags Rule. The agency has postponed enforcement of the rule, which requires creditors and financial institutions to develop policies and procedures for preventing identity theft, from the previous deadline of Nov. 1.

Healthcare institutions are included among the entities covered by the rule. To comply, you must develop a policy for identifying, detecting, preventing and mitigating risk factors — or "red flags" — for medical identity theft.

For help crafting a policy at your center by next June, see "How to Comply With the Red Flags Rule" in the October 2009 issue of Outpatient Surgery Magazine. The FTC has additional resources on its Web site.

Irene Tsikitas