Member Inurance Information
What is the Difference?
Medicaid, BadgerCare Plus, ForwardHealth, HMO, Chorus Community Health Plans... what do these all mean?
Medicaid is a form of health insurance, funded by both the federal and state governments, that helps cover medical costs for those who meet specific eligibility requirements. All states have Medicaid programs, but they may be set up a little differently in each state. For residents of Wisconsin, there are several different Medicaid programs. One of Wisconsin's Medicaid programs, for children and adults who meet income requirements, is called BadgerCare Plus.
BadgerCare Plus, along with other Medicaid health care programs and nutritional benefit programs (like WIC and FoodShare), are coordinated under an umbrella called ForwardHealth. ForwardHealth helps coordinate health insurance benefits, process claims and access coverage information. You apply for Medicaid (BadgerCare Plus) coverage through ForwardHealth. You would also receive your benefits card and information from ForwardHealth. You may access your benefits for any of the programs that ForwardHealth coordinates through their website (ACCESS) or their app (MyACCESS) MyAccess.
ForwardHealth works with a number of HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) to deliver health care benefits for programs like BadgerCare Plus. HMOs help administer the state's Medicaid plans, process health-related medical claims and offer a variety of additional services (like case management or social support programs) for their members. Chorus Community Health Plans is a BadgerCare Plus Medicaid HMO.
Individuals with BadgerCare Plus may select their HMO when enrolling for benefits. It's important to select your HMO. If you don't select one (or don't select one in the timeframe required), a HMO will be assigned to you. You can verify your HMO on ForwardHealth's website or app, or you can call the phone number on the back of the health insurance card that you received from ForwardHealth.
Click here for more information on BadgerPlus, to apply for benefits or learn more about ForwardHealth.
Finding Care
You can look for a provider on our website or on the ForwardHealth website. You can search for a specific provider or a clinic that your plan covers. You can also choose how far away the provider's office is from your home.