▁separate ▁assets ▁in ▁sub rog ation ▁proceed ings . ▁ ▁Op in ion ▁of ▁the ▁Court ▁In ▁a ▁majority ▁opinion ▁written ▁by ▁Justice ▁Clar ence ▁Thomas , ▁the ▁Court ▁held ▁that ▁plan ▁fid u ci aries ▁cannot ▁recover ▁medical ▁exp enses ▁from ▁a ▁benef ici ary ' s ▁separate ▁assets ▁unless ▁those ▁assets ▁can ▁be ▁trac ed ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁original ▁ER IS A ▁payment . ▁Justice ▁Thomas ▁concluded ▁stated ▁that ▁histor ically , ▁equ itable ▁li ens ▁have ▁only ▁been ▁available ▁to ▁pla int iffs ▁when ▁pla int iffs ▁can ▁identify ▁the ▁specific ▁property ▁that ▁was ▁wrong fully ▁with h eld ▁by ▁the ▁def endant . ▁If ▁a ▁def endant ' s ▁general ▁assets ▁cannot ▁be ▁trac ed ▁to ▁funds ▁that ▁were ▁wrong fully ▁with h eld , ▁then ▁equ itable ▁li ens ▁cannot ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁attach ▁un trace able ▁general ▁assets . ▁Justice ▁Thomas ▁therefore ▁held ▁that ▁the ▁Board ▁could ▁not ▁recover ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁the ▁initial ▁payment ▁from ▁Mont an ile ' s ▁general ▁assets . ▁However , ▁because ▁the ▁lower ▁courts ▁did ▁not ▁determine ▁which ▁of ▁Mont an ile ' s ▁assets ▁could ▁be ▁trac ed ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁medical ▁payment , ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁rem and ed ▁the ▁case ▁for ▁further ▁proceed ings . ▁ ▁Justice ▁G ins burg ' s ▁diss ent ing ▁opinion ▁Justice ▁Ruth ▁B ader ▁G ins burg ▁file d ▁a ▁short , ▁single - paragraph ▁diss ent ing ▁opinion ▁in ▁which ▁she ▁argued ▁that ▁Mont an ile ▁should ▁not ▁be ▁allowed ▁to