Final answer:
HIPAA Privacy Rule fraud and abuse investigations are conducted by the Office for Civil Rights within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Step-by-step explanation:
The investigation of fraud and abuse related to the HIPAA Privacy Rule is under the jurisdiction of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, sets standards for the protection of patient health information. The legislation requires entities like insurance companies and healthcare providers to maintain the confidentiality of patient records.
Under HIPAA, if a breach or misuse of protected health information occurs, the OCR is responsible for investigating complaints and enforcing the law. This helps to minimize the risk of privacy violations and discrimination, such as those based on genetic information, protected under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008, which complements HIPAA's protections.