Which accountability mechanism helps to uncover and remedy healthcare fraud to protect public funds?

• A. Office of Inspector General (OIG) audits and Corporate Integrity Agreements
• B. Environmental Protection Agency audits
• C. State Department compliance reviews
• D. Federal Communications Commission investigations

Answer: (A)

Accountability for healthcare fraud and safeguarding public funds comes from targeted oversight of federal health programs. The Office of Inspector General conducts audits and investigations of providers participating in Medicare and Medicaid, identifying improper billing, fraud, and other abuses. When issues are found, the OIG can pursue enforcement actions and settlements. Corporate Integrity Agreements, usually tied to OIG settlements, require comprehensive compliance programs, ongoing monitoring, annual reporting, and independent reviews to prevent and detect fraud going forward. This combination directly uncovers and remedies fraud to protect public funds. The other agencies focus on different domains—environment, diplomacy, or communications—and do not provide the healthcare-specific fraud oversight and remediation mechanism used to safeguard federal health program dollars.