By what year did the Tax Relief and Healthcare Act of 2006 require a permanent Recovery Audit program to be established?

The Tax Relief and Healthcare Act of 2006 mandated the establishment of a permanent Recovery Audit program, with the requirement to implement this program by 2010. The Recovery Audit program was created to identify and rectify improper Medicare and Medicaid payments, enhancing the overall integrity of these programs. This legislation aimed at improving the efficiency of audits and ensuring that overpayments and underpayments to healthcare providers were addressed systematically.

The implementation timeline set for 2010 was crucial, as it allowed for sufficient planning and development of the necessary infrastructure to support the program, ensuring that it could effectively audit claims and protect public funds from fraud and abuse. Thus, the correct answer reflects both the legislative requirement and the timeline that was authorized for establishing a permanent Recovery Audit program.