Refraction, like in a prism, is due to light slowing down in speed as it enters the prism medium.
Yes but in matter, light propagates as a "dressed" particle. That is, it is repeatedly absorbed and re-emitted by interactions with the electrons in the medium, and it is the propagagation of this complex interaction that has the lower speed.
This is analogous to the theory of the Higgs boson imparting mass to the various elementary particles by "dressing" them with its interactions, AFAIUI.