The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Alexandria, Va, has recently submitted a letter in support of legislation that would exempt health care practices—including physical therapy practices with fewer than 20 employees—from the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) "Red Flag" Rules, says an APTA statement.

HR 2345, sponsored by Rep John Adler (D-NJ), would exempt small practices from the new FTC requirement for creditors to establish a program to prevent identity theft in their practices, says APTA. Health care providers, including PTs, are considered by the FTC to be creditors because they provide services to patients without requiring payment in full at the time of service.

The Red Flag Rules become effective August 1. To assist with compliance, the FTC will release a template to help entities that have a low risk of identity theft, such as businesses that know their customers personally, says APTA.

The Private Practice Section on the organization’s Web site has an audio conference, which is available to members, by contacting [email protected].

[Source: APTA]