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Defining Willful Remuneration: How Bryan V. United States Affects The Scienter Requirement Of The Medicare/Medicaid Anti-Kickback Statute, Robb Degraw

Journal of Law and Health

At the forefront of the debate over the anti-kickback statute, and the topic of this Note, is the mens rea, or mental state, that is required for a violation of the law. According to the statute, an individual must "knowingly and willfully" solicit or receive, or offer to pay, remuneration in order to induce business reimbursed under any federal health care program. The interpretation of these terms by the federal courts has varied wildly, as have the underlying Supreme Court cases cited as precedent for such interpretations. However, in June of 1998, the Supreme Court defined the meaning of "willfully" …