The Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) is proud to announce ForwardHealth. ForwardHealth brings together many DHFS health care programs with the goal to create efficiencies for providers and to improve health outcomes for enrolled members.

The ForwardHealth Update is a new communication vehicle that will be used to discuss enhancements in the way providers can do business and to communicate changes to policies and procedures for DHFS health care programs. This new look for provider Updates begins the implementation process for ForwardHealth interChange in October 2008.

FowardHealth interChange will replace Wisconsin’s existing Medicaid Management Information System, Wisconsin Medicaid’s claims processing system. This new system will provide more ways for providers and trading partners to access information and conduct business with DHFS health care programs via the Web.

ForwardHealth Updates will be used to communicate information about the following programs:

• BadgerCare Plus.
• BadgerCare Plus managed care programs.
• SeniorCare.
• Wisconsin Chronic Disease Program.
• Wisconsin Immunization Registry.
• Wisconsin Medicaid.
• Wisconsin Well Woman Medicaid.
• Wisconsin Well Woman Program.

The information in ForwardHealth Updates will be organized and communicated in a way that will specify which health care programs and providers are affected by the information. A summary of published Updates will be mailed to all providers once a month.

BadgerCare Plus providers will continue to receive BadgerCare Plus Updates, which contain changes to policy and procedures for BadgerCare Plus until implementation of ForwardHealth interChange.

ForwardHealth Updates and BadgerCare Plus Updates are the first source of provider information, and providers are reminded that they are responsible for all information included in the Updates.

For more information on ForwardHealth interChange, refer to the March 2008 ForwardHealth Update (2008-24), titled “Introducing ForwardHealth interChange, a New Web-Based Information System for State Health Care Programs.”