The department shall take all reasonable measures to determine the legal liability of all third parties (including health insurers, self-insured plans, group health plans (as defined in § 607(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 [29 U.S.C. § 1167(1)] ), service benefit plans, health-maintenance organizations, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, or other parties that are, by statute, contract, or agreement, legally responsible for payment of a claim for a healthcare item or service), to pay for care and services on behalf of a medical assistance recipient, including collecting sufficient information to enable the department to pursue claims against such third parties.
In any case where such a legal liability is found to exist and medical assistance has been made available on behalf of the individual (beneficiary), the department shall seek reimbursement for the assistance to the extent of the legal liability and in accordance with the assignment described in § 40-6-9.
To the extent that payment has been made by the department for medical assistance to a beneficiary in any case where a third party has a legal liability to make payment for the assistance, and to the extent that payment has been made by the department for medical assistance for healthcare items or services furnished to an individual, the department (state) is considered to have acquired the rights of the individual to payment by any other party for the healthcare items or services in accordance with § 40-6-9.
Any health insurer (including a group health plan, as defined in § 607(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 [29 U.S.C. § 1167(1)], a self-insured plan, a service-benefit plan, a managed care organization, a pharmacy benefit manager, or other party that is, by statute, contract, or agreement, legally responsible for payment of a claim for a healthcare item or service), in enrolling an individual, or in making any payments for benefits to the individual or on the individual's behalf, is prohibited from taking into account that the individual is eligible for, or is provided, medical assistance under a plan under 42 U.S.C. § 1396 et seq. for this state, or any other state.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 40-6-9.1