Red Flags Rule requires veterinarians to have identity theft prevention programs

Rule requires veterinarians to have identity theft prevention programs

Veterinarians are not exempt from a new federal rule to prevent identity theft. The Red Flags Rule, which the Federal Trade Commission will begin enforcing May 1, requires creditors to develop programs to prevent, detect, and mitigate identity theft.

The FTC proposed the Red Flags Rule in late 2007, and it took effect in 2008. The commission delayed enforcement until this year because many organizations did not consider themselves to be creditors—not in the same sense as financial institutions, which also fall under the rule. Nevertheless, the rule applies to most organizations that make arrangements to defer payment of debts, including almost all health care providers. Health care providers are creditors under the rule, for example, if they bill clients after completing medical services.

...Each organization must write, implement, and administer an ongoing program to detect warning signs and respond appropriately to prevent or mitigate identity theft after finding a red flag. Responses to warning signs could include monitoring accounts or changing account numbers.

Finally, organizations should update their programs periodically to reflect changes in identity theft risks.

The intent behind the Red Flags Rule is good, said Dr. Patricia Wohlferth-Bethke, an assistant director in the AVMA Membership and Field Services Division...(Full text at www.avma.org)

To any vets reading this article, this is what we do for you at no direct cost to you.

We offer an Affirmative Defense Response System (ADRS) in which:

1. We provide a written policy outlining specific requirements for protecting customers and employees personal info

2. A letter that can be used when appointing an employee as security compliance officer - which is required by the GLB law.

3. A comprehensive training program which according to the FTC is one of the 1st steps to protecting NPI by conducting a mandatory meeting to educate employees about the risks/liabilities of data loss.

4. When employees complete the ADRS training, they sign the "Use of Confidential Information by Employee" form that serves as proof they've completed a mandatory training in handling NPI. This signed document demonstrates that the company is taking reasonable measures and actively working to comply with FACTA, GLB and HIPAA.

We do all the above if allowed to offer our Pre-Paid Legal services (PPL) to the employees as an employee benefit. PPL spent over $1 million developing the above to assist companies in becoming compliant with all the new laws. PPL is a 36 year old NYSE company and named as one of the top 200 small businesses on the NYSE by Forbes magazine 7 times.

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

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