(a) Whenever a contract by a third party agency provides for payment to a beneficiary under the contract on account of bills incurred by such beneficiary for medical, surgical or hospital care received by such beneficiary, the assignment of the benefits of the contract by such beneficiary to the department head, as defined in section 4-5, of a state agency, or any doctor or hospital rendering such care, when sent by registered or certified mail to the third party agency, with a copy to the insured, shall be authority for the payment directly by the third party agency to the assignee. The state shall have a lien, in an amount equal to the care rendered, on the proceeds of such contracts for care rendered by any state hospital, institution or other facility, written notice of which shall be authority for the payment directly by the third party agency to the state.

(b) Whenever there is in existence a contract by an insurer for payment to, or on behalf of, an applicant or recipient of medical assistance under the Medicaid program under said contract on account of bills incurred by the applicant or recipient for medical services, including, but not limited to, physician services, nursing services, pharmaceutical services, surgical care and hospital care, the assignment of the benefits of the contract by such applicant or recipient or his legally liable relative pursuant to section 17b-265 shall, upon receipt of notice from the assignee, be authority for payment by the insurer directly to the assignee. If notice is provided by the assignee to the insurer in accordance with the provisions of section 17b-265, the insurer shall be liable to the assignee for any amount payable to the assignee under the contract.

(c) No insurer, health care center or issuer of any service plan contract for hospital or medical expense coverage delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state shall impose requirements on the Department of Social Services that have the effect of denying or limiting benefits that have been assigned pursuant to this section. The assignment of benefits shall be in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(1961, P.A. 124; P.A. 75-591; P.A. 90-243, S. 70; 90-283, S. 2; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-5, S. 8, 30; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 101, 165; P.A. 04-76, S. 36; P.A. 11-44, S. 136; P.A. 15-118, S. 43; P.A. 17-15, S. 36.)

History: P.A. 75-591 clarified existing provision by substituting “sent by registered or certified mail” for “lodged with”, authorized assignment of benefits to department heads, required a copy to be sent to insured and added provision re state’s lien on contracts for care rendered by state hospitals, institutions, etc.; P.A. 90-243 made technical changes for statutory consistency; P.A. 90-283 added Subsec. (b) re assignment of benefits of contract by an applicant or recipient of medical assistance; Sec. 38-174a transferred to Sec. 38a-472 in 1991; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-5 added a new Subsec. (c) to prevent insurers from imposing requirements on the department of social services which deny or limit benefits assigned pursuant to this section, effective July 1, 1994; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 amended Subsec. (b) to make technical and conforming changes to references re assistance programs, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 04-76 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting reference to “general assistance program”; P.A. 11-44 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting “the state-administered general assistance program or”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 15-118 made technical changes in Subsec. (c); P.A. 17-15 made technical changes in Subsec. (a).