Red Flags Rule: Fighting Identity Theft

On January 1, 2008, the newly-released Red Flags Rule stipulated that certain businesses are required to "spot and heed" the red flags for identity theft. Health care providers, in particular, should be vigilant in monitoring any suspicious activity that may indicate identity thieves have accessed stolen information including social security numbers, birth dates, account numbers, etc. in order to acquire accounts or services. Compliance to the Red Flags rule will be enforced starting on May 1, 2009. Is your organization covered?