The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced late yesterday, Oct. 22, that it would suspend enforcement of the new Red Flag rules regarding identity theft prevention until May 1, 2009. The rules, discussed on the cover of the Oct. 20 ISMA Reports (and at www.ismanet.org/news/e-reports/2008_Reports/10-20-08/FTC.html), originally were set to take effect Nov. 1.

The six-month delay was offered to give creditors, which the FTC recently interpreted to include health care providers, and financial institutions time to develop and implement written identity theft prevention programs. Watch future ISMA Reports for some assistance with this issue.

To read the FTC’s notice about the delay, see www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/redflags.shtm.