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What are the Red Flag Rules?
New red flag rules will protect patients from medical identity theft, which can result in one person obtaining expensive health services under another person’s name and medical record number.
Training is underway for BWH staff to recognize red flags that may indicate a patient has fallen victim to identity theft or medical identity theft. A new hospital policy and Partners program are detailed on BWHPikeNotes.org in the Policies section under Compliance and HIPAA.
The new policy and program are effective Aug. 1 in accordance with Federal Trade Commission regulations and the Massachusetts Identity Theft Prevention Act.
All BWH staff are asked to review the new policy and program online and participate in training in coming months. Staff will learn details on how to spot potential red flags that may be indicative of identity theft, such as an ID that looks as if it has been altered or inconsistent information, such as different dates of birth or addresses.
If identity theft is suspected or discovered, immediately notify the BWH Privacy Office at 617-582-5201. The Privacy Office will investigate further and notify state authorities if appropriate.
In addition to the new BWH policy and PHS program, the hospital is developing department specific procedures and applicable training sessions.