68-926.

Legislative findings.

The Legislature finds that (1) the department relies on health insurance and claims information from private insurers to ensure accuracy in processing state benefit program payments to providers and in verifying individual recipients' eligibility, (2) delay or refusal to provide such information causes unnecessary expenditures of state funds, (3) disclosure of such information to the department is permitted pursuant to the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability privacy rules under 45 C.F.R. part 164, and (4) for medical assistance program recipients who also have other insurance coverage, including coverage by licensed and self-funded insurers, the department is required by 42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(25) to assure that licensed and self-funded insurers coordinate benefits with the program.