---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 1396k"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "1396k"
heading: "Assignment, enforcement, and collection of rights of payments for medical care; establishment of procedures pursuant to State plan; amounts retained by State"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/1396k"
units:
  - "Chapter 7 — Social Security"
  - "Subchapter XIX — Grants to States for Medical Assistance Programs"
---

# §1396k. Assignment, enforcement, and collection of rights of payments for medical care; establishment of procedures pursuant to State plan; amounts retained by State

- (a) For the purpose of assisting in the collection of medical support payments and other payments for [medical care](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-7) owed to recipients of [medical assistance](/usc/42/1396d.md?p=a) under the [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) plan approved under this subchapter, a [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) plan for [medical assistance](/usc/42/1396d.md?p=a) shall—
  - (1) provide that, as a condition of eligibility for [medical assistance](/usc/42/1396d.md?p=a) under the [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) plan to an individual who has the legal capacity to execute an assignment for himself, the individual is required—
    - (A) to assign the [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) any rights, of the individual or of any other [person](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-3) who is eligible for [medical assistance](/usc/42/1396d.md?p=a) under this subchapter and on whose behalf the individual has the legal authority to execute an assignment of such rights, to support (specified as support for the purpose of [medical care](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-7) by a court or administrative order) and to payment for [medical care](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-7) from any third party;
    - (B) to cooperate with the [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) (i) in establishing the paternity of such [person](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-3) (referred to in [subparagraph (A)](#a-1-A)) if the [person](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-3) is a [child](/usc/42/1382c.md?p=c) born out of wedlock, and (ii) in obtaining support and payments (described in [subparagraph (A)](#a-1-A)) for himself and for such [person](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-3), unless (in either case) the individual is described in [section 1396a(l)(1)(A)](/usc/42/1396a.md?p=l-1-A) of this title or the individual is found to have good cause for refusing to cooperate as determined by the [State agency](/usc/42/629a.md?p=a-3) in accordance with [standards](/usc/42/1320d.md?p=7) prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-6), which [standards](/usc/42/1320d.md?p=7) shall take into consideration the best interests of the individuals involved; and
    - (C) to cooperate with the [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) in identifying, and providing information to assist the [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) in pursuing, any third party who may be liable to pay for care and services available under the plan, unless such individual has good cause for refusing to cooperate as determined by the [State agency](/usc/42/629a.md?p=a-3) in accordance with [standards](/usc/42/1320d.md?p=7) prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-6), which [standards](/usc/42/1320d.md?p=7) shall take into consideration the best interests of the individuals involved; and
  - (2) provide for entering into cooperative arrangements ([including](/usc/42/1301.md?p=b) financial arrangements), with any appropriate [agency](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=1) of any [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) ([including](/usc/42/1301.md?p=b), with respect to the enforcement and collection of rights of payment for [medical care](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-7) by or through a parent, with a [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5)’s [agency](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=1) established or designated under [section 654(3) of this title](/usc/42/654.md?p=3)) and with appropriate courts and [law enforcement](/usc/42/1397j.md?p=13) officials, to assist the [agency](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=1) or [agencies](/usc/42/1397n–12.md?p=1) administering the [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) plan with respect to (A) the enforcement and collection of rights to support or payment assigned under this section and (B) any other matters of common concern.
- (b) Such part of any amount collected by the [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) under an assignment made under the provisions of this section shall be retained by the [State](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) as is necessary to reimburse it for [medical assistance](/usc/42/1396d.md?p=a) payments made on behalf of an individual with respect to whom such assignment was executed (with appropriate reimbursement of the Federal Government to the extent of its participation in the financing of such [medical assistance](/usc/42/1396d.md?p=a)), and the remainder of such amount collected shall be paid to such individual.

## Source credit

(Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title XIX, § 1912, as added Pub. L. 95–142, § 11(b), Oct. 25, 1977, 91 Stat. 1196; amended Pub. L. 98–369, div. B, title III, § 2367(b), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 1109; Pub. L. 99–272, title IX, § 9503(e), Apr. 7, 1986, 100 Stat. 207; Pub. L. 101–508, title IV, § 4606(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–170; Pub. L. 113–67, div. A, title II, § 202(b)(2), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 1177; Pub. L. 115–123, div. E, title XII, § 53102(b)(1), Feb. 9, 2018, 132 Stat. 298.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 115–123, § 53102(b)(1), repealed Pub. L. 113–67, § 202(b)(2), and provided that the provisions amended by section 202(b) shall be applied and administered as if such amendment had never been enacted. See 2013 Amendment note below.

2013—Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 113–67, § 202(b)(2), which directed substitution of “any payment from a third party that has a legal liability to pay for care and services available under the plan” for “payment for medical care from any third party”, was repealed by Pub. L. 115–123, § 53102(b)(1).

1990—Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 101–508 inserted “the individual is described in section 1396a(l)(1)(A) of this title or” after “unless (in either case)”.

1986—Subsec. (a)(1)(C). Pub. L. 99–272 added subpar. (C).

1984—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98–369 substituted “State plan for medical assistance shall” for “State plan for medical assistance may”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Pub. L. 115–123, div. E, title XII, § 53102(b)(1), Feb. 9, 2018, 132 Stat. 298, provided that the repeal of section 202(b) of Pub. L. 113–67 is effective Sept. 30, 2017, and the provisions amended by section 202(b) shall be applied and administered as if such amendments had never been enacted. In addition, such repeal by section 53102(b)(1) of Pub. L. 115–123 applicable with respect to any open claims, including claims pending, generated, or filed, after Sept. 30, 2017, see section 53102(b)(3) of Pub. L. 115–123, set out as a note under section 1396a of this title.

### Effective Date of 1990 Amendment

Pub. L. 101–508, title IV, § 4606(b), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–170, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 5, 1990].”

### Effective Date of 1986 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 99–272 applicable to calendar quarters beginning on or after Apr. 7, 1986, except as otherwise provided, see section 9503(g)(1), (2) of Pub. L. 99–272, set out as a note under section 1396a of this title.

### Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 98–369 effective Oct. 1, 1984, except as otherwise provided, see section 2367(c) of Pub. L. 98–369, set out as a note under section 1396a of this title.