Right to reimbursement established; subrogation and assignment.

(a) Whenever the District provides health-care assistance to a beneficiary who has suffered an injury or illness under circumstances creating liability in a third party or under circumstances that would have created such a liability had the beneficiary instead of the District incurred the expense of the health-care assistance, it shall have an independent, direct cause of action against that third party for the unreimbursed value or cost of the health-care assistance provided.

(b) As soon as the District begins providing health-care assistance to a beneficiary, it shall become subrogated to any right or claim that the beneficiary has against a third party for the care and treatment it has undertaken to provide or pay for as health-care assistance. Alternatively, or in addition to the legal subrogation effected under this subsection, the Mayor may require a beneficiary to execute a written assignment of that same right or claim.