Final answer:
Healthcare fraud and abuse is a federal criminal offense as per the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which is supported by other legal frameworks like the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to ensure ethical and efficient healthcare practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that healthcare fraud and abuse is a federal criminal offense that can have significant penalties attached to it is outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This act, passed in 1996, provides the legal framework for privacy and security concerns in the healthcare system.
To clarify, item d. HIPAA is the correct answer to the question. HIPAA addresses a range of legal and ethical issues including the protection of patient information, preventing genetic discrimination through the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), and the prohibition of unauthorized release of individually identifiable health information outside the context of providing healthcare.
In addition to HIPAA, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, contributes to legal considerations in healthcare by introducing measures to control healthcare costs, such as caps on administrative costs and the promotion of electronic medical records (EMRs). The ACA is also funded by various taxes, which serves as financial scaffolding for the regulations it proposes.