Did you lose BadgerCare Plus?

(Also known as ForwardHealth, ACCESS, Medicaid, or state insurance)

Covering Wisconsin is a state and federally certified Navigator agency. We provide free help to Wisconsin residents to learn about, find, and enroll in health insurance and health benefit programs.

Your health coverage options depend on whether you still qualify for Badgercare, and how long it’s been since you lost coverage.

Ready to get covered? You have options and we can help!

Choose an option below to learn more, or get free help from a Health Insurance Navigator.

How to submit a late renewal for BadgerCare Plus

You can submit a late renewal for BadgerCare Plus up to 90 days after your original renewal date. If you’re eligible, your coverage will be reinstated. You may be able to get your coverage backdated to when you lost coverage.

  • To find your renewal date, check the MyACCESS App or the ACCESS website. To log in, you’ll need one of these numbers:

    • Case number

    • ForwardHealth ID number

    • Quest card number

    If you can’t use the app or the website, you can call your IM agency to find your renewal date.

To renew on the ACCESS website:

  • Click “Renew My Benefits” to start the renewal.

  • Be sure to keep checking back for requests for documents.

  • If it’s been 90 days or more, you’ll need to start a new application. Click “Apply for benefits.”

You can also renew by mail, by phone, or in person (find contact info here).

If you need help renewing or just have a question, you can get free help from a Health Insurance Navigator.

Backdating

To find out how to contact the IM agency or consortium for your county or tribe, visit the DHS Income Maintenance and Tribal Agency Contact Information page.

  • Your consortium is the group of county agencies that administer BadgerCare and other state programs in your area.

    It is these agencies—called income maintenance (IM) agencies, economic support agencies, or tribal agencies—that process applications and renewals, review verification documents, and determine whether you are eligible for coverage.

    Contact your agency if you:

    • Need help applying for or renewing state programs, including BadgerCare

    • Want to find out the status of your application or renewal

    • Need to report a change that might affect your eligibility, such as a change in income, birth of a child, change in marital status, etc.

    Note: You can do many of these tasks on the ACCESS website or the MyACCESS app.

When you renew late, BadgerCare Plus will backdate your coverage. Backdating means BadgerCare Plus will cover your doctor visits and prescriptions from when you were not enrolled. You may need to call your local agency for backdating.

1-30 days late: BadgerCare Plus will automatically backdate and cover your doctor visits and prescriptions. You don’t need to do anything more.

31-90 days late: You must call your local agency and ask them to reopen your case for backdating. You will need to provide proof of income for the time you didn’t have BadgerCare Plus. Examples of proof include:

  • Paycheck stubs

  • Letter from employer

  • Social Security Income statement

Watch for the “Next Steps” letter from the State of Wisconsin. It will be mailed to your house and you can find it in your ACCESS account. It will tell you what documents to send and the deadlines they are due.

  • After you renew, BadgerCare Plus can go back 90 days to pay your health care bills. You can also get your money back if you already paid for a doctor visit or prescriptions. This is called a reimbursement.

    • Doctor visits: Tell the clinic you renewed BadgerCare Plus. Ask your clinic to resubmit the bill. If you already paid, ask for your money back.

    • Pharmacy: Ask the pharmacy to rerun your insurance. If you already paid, work with the pharmacy to get your money back. Each pharmacy is different. You may only get store credit and not a reimbursement.

How to submit documents

You may be asked to verify your information by submitting documents. The easiest and fastest way to submit documents is through the MyACCESS mobile app, which lets you take photos of your documents and submit them from within the app:

  1. In the MyACCESS app, tap “Submit documents”

  2. Check to see what documents you need to submit

  3. Follow the directions in the app to take pictures of your documents

You can also submit documents on the ACCESS website, or you can fax or mail them (find contact info here).

How to find your local IM agency or consortium:

If you no longer qualify for BadgerCare Plus

Check out the options below to learn what might be available to you if you no longer qualify for BadgerCare Plus.

    • After losing BadgerCare, you have at least 30 days to enroll in your employer’s plan. Check with your employer to find out what the deadline is. After the deadline, you’ll have to wait until your employer’s next open enrollment period, unless you have a life event that triggers a special enrollment period.

    • If your employer’s plan is not considered affordable, you can get financial help for a Marketplace plan. (What is considered affordable?)

    • Sometimes an employer’s plan is affordable for the individual but not for the rest of the family. In that case, the worker can sign up for employer coverage, and their family members can get financial help for a Marketplace plan on Healthcare.gov.

  • The Health Insurance Marketplace lists publicly available health plans in your area. Anyone can sign up for a plan on the Marketplace, but your plan costs depend on your income and if you have a job that offers affordable insurance. You can get free help from a Health Insurance Navigator to understand your options and to sign up.

    • Apply within 60 days of losing BadgerCare. After 60 days, you may have to wait until the next Open Enrollment period (Nov. 1–Jan. 15). You can only enroll outside of Open Enrollment if:

    • Many people can get savings based on income.

    • You can compare plans and get price estimates here. For the most accurate price estimate, answer the questions about dependents and income.

    • Start your application here. Note: Applying doesn’t obligate you to enroll. After submitting your application, you’ll get a notice that says what you’re eligible for, and at that point you can enroll if you want to.

    • If your employer’s plan is affordable for you but not for the rest of your family, your family members may be able to get more affordable coverage on the Marketplace while you are on an individual plan through your employer.

    • If you live in Dane, La Crosse, or Monroe counties, you may be able to get extra help paying for monthly premiums. Work with a Health Insurance Navigator to learn more.

    • Medicare Parts A and B: Apply within 6 months of losing BadgerCare.

    • Medicare Advantage Plan and Medicare Part D: Apply within 3 months of losing BadgerCare.

    • For help with Medicare, contact the Medigap Helpline or your local ADRC. Covering Wisconsin staff are not trained to help with Medicare.

  • To find a clinic near you:

Get free help from a Health Insurance Navigator

A certified Health Insurance Navigator can help you renew, find other coverage, and get financial help. Covering Wisconsin’s Navigators are located throughout the state and are certified to provide unbiased assistance in person or over the phone.

Here’s how to get in touch

  • Call (877) 942-6837

  • Click on the Chat at the bottom right corner of your screen, then choose “Get free, expert help or ask questions”

Why Covering Wisconsin contacted you

You may have received a phone call from Covering Wisconsin. We are partnering with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to reach out to people who recently lost their BadgerCare Plus coverage. DHS securely shared your contact information with us as part of this outreach effort.

Covering Wisconsin is a state and federally certified navigator agency. We provide free help to Wisconsin residents to learn about, find, and enroll in health insurance and health benefit programs. Our help is impartial—we do not receive any money from insurance companies.