• Eligibility Categories
  • Introduction
  • Medicaid Recipients
  • BadgerCare Recipients
  • Wisconsin Well Woman Medicaid
  • Limited Benefit Categories
    • Introduction
    • Family Planning Waiver Program
    • Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnant Women Benefit
    • Tuberculosis-Related Services-Only Benefit
    • Qualified Medicare Beneficiary-Only Recipients
    • Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiaries
    • Qualifying Individual 1 Recipients
    • Qualified Disabled Working Individual Recipients
• Medicaid Identification Cards
  • Introduction
  • Forward Cards
    • Introduction
    • Forward Card Features
    • Identification Number Changes
    • Recipient Name Changes
    • Deactivated Cards
    • Defective Cards
    • Lost Cards
    • Managed Care Organization Enrollment Changes
  • Temporary Medicaid Cards
  • Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnant Women Temporary Cards
  • Presumptive Eligibility for the Family Planning Waiver Program Temporary Cards
• Eligibility Verification Methods
  • Introduction
  • 270/271 Transactions
  • Automated Voice Response System
    • Introduction
    • Dates of Services
    • Hours
  • Commercial Eligibility Verification Vendors
    • Introduction
    • Magnetic Stripe Card Readers
    • Personal Computer Software
    • Internet Access
  • Provider Services
    • Introduction
    • Hours
  • Recipient Forgets Identification Card
• Eligibility Rights
  • Introduction
  • Prompt Decisions on Eligibility
  • Requesting Retroactive Eligibility
  • Appealing Eligibility Determinations
    • Introduction
    • Claims for Appeal Reversals
  • Freedom of Choice
  • Notification of Discontinued Benefits
• Eligibility Responsibilities
  • Introduction
  • Prior Identification of Eligibility
  • Loss of Medicaid Eligibility — Financial Liability
  • Reporting Changes to Caseworkers
• Copayment Requirements
  • Introduction
  • Copayment Exemptions
  • Copayment Amounts
  • Copayment Limitations
  • Copayment Refund/Collection Requirement
• Special Eligibility Circumstances
  • Retroactive Eligibility
    • Introduction
    • Reimbursing Recipients in Cases of Retroactive Eligibility
  • Spenddown to Meet Medicaid Financial Eligibility Requirements
  • Persons Detained by Legal Process
  • Recipients Traveling Out of State
  • Non-U.S. Citizens — Emergency Services
  • Medicaid Recipients from Other States
• Misuse and Abuse of Benefits
  • Introduction
  • Examples of Misuse and Abuse
  • Requesting Additional Proof of Identity
  • Notifying Wisconsin Medicaid
  • Providers May Refuse to Provide Services
  • Recipient Lock-In Program
    • Introduction
    • Providers May Make Referrals
• Appendix
  • Appendix 1 — Limited Benefit Categories
  • Appendix 2 — Quick-Entry Guide for the Automated Voice Response System
  • Appendix 3 — Eligibility Verification Vendors
  • Appendix 4 — Certification of Emergency for Non-U.S. Citizens Form Completion Instructions
  • Appendix 5 — Certification of Emergency for Non-U.S. Citizens
• PDF

Recipient Eligibility

Eligibility Categories

Recipient eligibility issues are the primary reason claims are denied by Wisconsin Medicaid. To reduce claim denials, providers should always verify a recipient’s eligibility before providing services to determine eligibility for the current date (since a recipient’s eligibility status may change) and to discover any limitations to the recipient’s coverage.

Some recipients are not entitled to receive full Medicaid benefits and may only receive limited services. Most recipients, whether they are eligible for all services or limited services, receive a Forward card. Recipients are encouraged to keep their Forward cards during periods of ineligibility. Possession of a Forward card does not guarantee that a recipient is eligible for Wisconsin Medicaid.

Providers should refer clients who want more information on Medicaid eligibility to one of the following:

• Their local county/tribal social or human services agency.
• Recipient Services at (800) 362-3002 or (608) 221-5720.
• The Recipient section of the Medicaid Web site.

Next — Eligibility Categories, Medicaid Recipients