Ask the Experts | Professional Issues | Practice Management & Professional Issues | Red Flag Rules - Do Audiology Practices Still Need to Comply? Red Flag Rules - Do Audiology Practices Still Need to Comply? Carolyn Smaka March 21, 2011 Print Question Last year I took a course in the Red Flags Rule and was told that audiologists needed to comply but that the Federal Trade Commission was delaying enforcement until December 31, 2010. What is the current status? Answer In December 2010, President Obama signed into law the "Red Flag Program Clarification Act of 2010 (Bill, S. 3987)," which further clarifies the type of "creditor" that must comply with the Red Flags Rule. According to this Act, now Public Law No 111-319, a creditor includes only entities that use consumer reports, furnish information to consumer reporting agencies or extend credit. A creditor is not someone who advances funds on behalf of a person for expenses incidental to a service provided. The bottom line? Audiologists no longer meet the definition of a creditor under the Red Flags Rule and thus are not legally required to comply with it. I confirmed this with an audiology billing/coding expert before writing this reply (thanks, Dr. Cavitt!). Taking steps to reduce the potential for identity theft/medical identity theft in one's audiology practice may be good business, but it is not required by law.Carolyn Smaka is Editor-in-Chief of AudiologyOnline. Prior to joining AudiologyOnline in 2008, she worked as a clinical audiologist, audiology administrator, and in a variety of roles for a leading hearing instrument manufacturer. Carolyn Smaka Related Courses Presenters Martie Ormsby Carolyn Smaka Resume Redux - Tips for Tough Times [Text/Transcript Course] Course: #13273 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.1 Introductory; ACAud/1.0; BAA/1.0; CAA/1.0; IHS/1.0 Cost: Free to View This article considers the resume piece by piece as it pertains to audiology and provides proven tips and strategies for an effective resume. Suggestions for the cover letter, tips for students, and a sample resume is also included. Course Details Presenter John A. Coverstone, AuD 20Q: Fee-for-Service in an Audiology Practice [Text/Transcript Course] Course: #20097 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.2 Intermediate; ACAud/0.2; ASHA/0.2 Intermediate, Related; BAA/2.0; CAA/2.0; CASLPA/2.0; IHS/2.0 Cost: Free to View This article will discuss fee-for-service for audiology practices, in an engaging question & answer format. Course Details Presenter Maris Standig Appelbaum, AuD, AuD Precepting and the University Clinic [Text/Transcript Course] Course: #19516 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.1 Intermediate; ACAud/0.1; ASHA/0.1 Intermediate, Related; BAA/1.0; CAA/1.0; CASLPA/1.0; IHS/1.0 Cost: Free to View Clinical education is best learned through actual patient interaction. It is an important part of the AuD experience, and it is in the best interest of the professional community to embrace the responsibility and appropriately train the next generation of audiologists. This article will describe some of the clinical preceptor practices at the Center for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology at Montclair State University, and discuss implications for improving the student supervisory experience overall, such as methods for training audiology preceptors. Course Details Presenter Sheila T. Moodie, PhD, MCISc 20Q: Moving from Evidence to Practice - Can Knowledge Translation and Implementation Science Help Audiology Get There? [Text/Transcript Course] Course: #19419 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.1 Intermediate; ACAud/0.1; AHIP/1.0; ASHA/0.1 Intermediate, Professional; BAA/1.0; CAA/1.0; CASLPA/1.0; Calif. HADB/1.0 Hearing Aid Related; IHS/1.0 Cost: Free to View Everyday clinical practice often falls short of what is recommended in evidenced-based research or best practice guidelines. This article provides an overview of the field of study known as knowledge translation and implementation science, and discusses its potential application to audiology in order to help overcome barriers and facilitate implementation of best practices across the profession. Course Details Presenter David J. Smriga, MA Are We (Still) Asleep At The Wheel? An Update from Seven Years Ago [Text/Transcript Course] Course: #19303 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.1 Intermediate; ACAud/0.1; BAA/1.0; CAA/1.0; IHS/1.0 Cost: Free to View The "corporatization" of hearing care distribution in the United States has continued its expansion since Smriga first reported this phenomenon in 2004. In that initial report, based on the public information available at the time, we estimated that 46% of 2004's non-Veteran's Administration (VA) U.S. hearing care outlets (i.e., clinics, hospitals, universities, private practices, dispensing outlets, etc.) were independently owned, autonomous in their decision-making and unaffiliated with a larger corporate business entity. In that report, we also predicted that by 2010, the number of independent, autonomous and unaffiliated providers could shrink to as little as 22% of the total non-VA provider market as long as expansion by business corporations seeking to own and manage hearing care distribution in the United States continued to remain uninfluenced by the audiology community.This updated report attempts to summarize the 2011 status of U.S. hearing-care-provider corporatization, and documents the changes that have occurred since 2004. Course Details
