government
FTC appeals ruling on identity theft
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted March 22, 2010
The Federal Trade Commission has challenged a court ruling that, if it stands, could give physicians some relief from regulations requiring implementation of formal identity theft prevention programs by June 1.
In February, the FTC appealed a December 2009 ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that found the agency exceeded its authority in enforcing its "red flags" rule against lawyers. The American Bar Assn., which initiated the litigation, noted in a statement that the appellate court upheld a similar ruling against the FTC once before.
The American Medical Association and other health care organizations petitioned the commission in January to apply the district court ruling to the health care industry. Physicians have expressed concerns that the mandate, which is unfunded, will unnecessarily burden doctors practices.
At this article's deadline, no hearing dates had been set.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/03/22/gvbf0322.htm.
