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(a) The department shall be subrogated to any right of recovery or indemnification arising from an accident or occurrence resulting in expenditures by the department, which an applicant or recipient of medical assistance or any legally liable party has against an insurer, health insurer, self- insured plan, group health plan, service benefit plan, managed care organization, pharmacy benefit manager or other party that is, by statute, contract or agreement, legally responsible for payment of a claim for health care items or services, including but not limited to hospitalization, pharmaceutical services, physician services, nursing services and other medical services, not to exceed the amount expended by the department for the care and treatment of the applicant or recipient. An applicant or recipient or legally liable party, by the act of applying for, or recipient receiving medical assistance, shall be deemed to have made a subrogation assignment and an assignment of claim for benefits to the department. The department shall inform an applicant of the assignments at the time of application. In addition, any entitlements from a contractual agreement with an applicant or recipient or legally liable party, a state or federal program or a claim or action against any responsible third party for medical services, not to exceed the amount expended by the department, shall be so assigned. The entitlements shall be directly reimbursable to the department by third party payors. The department may assign its right to subrogation or its entitlement to benefits to a designee or a health care provider participating in the medicaid program and providing services to an applicant or recipient, in order to assist the provider in obtaining payment for the services. A provider that has received an assignment from the department shall notify the insurer of the assignment upon rendering of services to the applicant or recipient. Failure to so notify the insurer shall render the provider ineligible for payment from the department. Once the insurer has been billed or notified the provider may not request payment through the medicaid program until a payment, denial or other explanation of benefits, not including mistakes in billing, is received from the insurer. The provider shall notify the department of any request by the applicant or recipient or his legally liable party or representative for billing information.