on april 30, 2009, the federal trade commission (ftc) announced it will delay enforcement of the red flags rule from may 1, 2009 until august 1, 2009. given the eleventh-hour notice, health care providers can breathe a sigh of relief for now. there is some indication that congress may narrow the scope of the law, but whether that will occur before the new effective date is unclear. lessons learned for health care providers? review relevant compliance materials, be ready to implement red flags policies, and check back with the ftc on or about july 31, 2009.