Community Services

Health Coverage

Badgercare+

Badgercare+ is a health coverage program for low-income Wisconsin residents.  You are able to apply for Badgercare+ at any time of the year and may also qualify for up to three months of backdated coverage.  Applications for Badgercare+ and other assistance programs can be found online at www.access.wi.gov or you can apply with your agency in person, by phone or by mail with a paper application.  

Family Planning Only Services

The Family Planning Only Services (FPOS) Program is to provide certain family planning-related services to prevent unplanned pregnancies.  Coverage is available for both men and woman.  Income guidelines are higher for FPOS services than for Badgercare+ coverage.  A list of covered services is available here.

Medicaid

Wisconsin’s ForwardHealth Medicaid plans provide healthcare for the elderly, blind or disabled.  There are also plans available to help pay for Medicare premiums, coinsurance, and deductibles.  To see what programs you may be able to enroll in, visit www.access.wi.gov and click on “Am I Eligible?” or visit Kayla at the St. Croix Tribal Health Clinic.

Different programs may include:

• Community Waivers
• Family Care
• Medicaid Deductible
• Medicaid Purchase Plan
• Medicare Savings Programs
• Well Woman Medicaid Plan

Medicare

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease.  Most people start getting information about Medicare about three months before their 65th birthday. If you are just getting started with Medicare, we encourage you to visit www.medicare.gov to learn about all of the pieces of Medicare before you choose your coverage.  There are penalties for not signing up when you are first eligible, unless you qualify for certain exemptions, another resource for information would be the Medigap Hotline, 1-800-242-1060.  The Medigap Hotline is a free helpline that provides counseling for all Wisconsin Medicare beneficiaries on Medicare, Medicare supplement insurance, employer-based health insurance, Medicare Advantage plans, long term care insurance and more. 

To get started, help is also available at the St. Croix Tribal Health Clinic and your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC).

Marketplace

If you don’t have health insurance through a job, Medicare, Medicaid, or another source that provides qualifying coverage, the Marketplace can help you get covered. If you qualify, the Marketplace can also help you get savings on your premiums, deductibles, and out of pocket costs. The Marketplace does have a yearly open enrollment period, but there are special enrollment periods that may qualify you to enroll at any time. 

You can apply for coverage in 4 ways:

• online, www.healthcare.gov
• by phone, Help Center: 1-800-318-2596
• with in-person help, like at the St. Croix Tribal Health Clinic!
• with a paper application

FoodShare Wisconsin

FoodShare Wisconsin helps low-income families and individuals to buy nutritious food. Certain adults between the ages of 18 through 49 with no minor children in the home may need to meet a work requirement or file an exemption to continue getting FoodShare benefits.  Like many other benefits, you can also apply for FoodShare at access.wi.gov.

We can assist in accessing any of these resources, but for your convenience links are listed below: