Hospitals will step up efforts to block identity theft

Starting May 1, hospitals and other healthcare providers that allow patients to pay bills using credit must put written identity theft prevention programs in place. The "red flag rules" from the Federal Trade Commission were supposed to go into effect in November, but enforcement was delayed to give healthcare outlets and others more time to comply. "You'll find more hospitals . . . asking for a picture ID, so they would know the person sitting in front of them is the person on the insurance card," said David McClure, vice president of finance with the Tennessee Hospital Association.