Which term refers to the program established to combat waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid?

• A. HCFAC
• B. HCQIP
• C. HIPAA
• D. HITECH

Answer: (A)

The question focuses on the federally coordinated effort to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid. The program established for this purpose is the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program, abbreviated as HCFAC. Created under HIPAA, it brings together enforcement and oversight across federal agencies (notably HHS’s Office of Inspector General and the Department of Justice) and state programs, funded by the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Fund. Its work includes investigations, audits, civil actions, and criminal prosecutions to deter and detect improper billing and fraudulent schemes in federal health care programs. The other terms refer to privacy protections (HIPAA), health-information technology incentives (HITECH), or are not the recognized program name for combating fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid, so they don’t fit this description.