Medicaid plans › Wisconsin
Wisconsin Medicaid Managed-Care Plans for Providers
Enrollments are billed 50% at the start and 50% at submission; everything else 100% at the start.
Wisconsin Medicaid (ForwardHealth) is run by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. 896,034 people were enrolled in its 15 managed-care plans in 2024. To see their patients, a provider enrolls with Wisconsin Medicaid (ForwardHealth) through the ForwardHealth Portal, then applies to each plan separately.
| Plan | Members (2024) | Share | Parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare Community Plan | 217,773 | 24.3% | UnitedHealth Group |
| Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield | 128,246 | 14.3% | Elevance Health |
| Chorus Community Health Plans | 120,491 | 13.4% | In-state |
| Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin | 77,246 | 8.6% | Molina Healthcare |
| Security Health Plan of Wisconsin | 63,945 | 7.1% | In-state |
| MHS Health Wisconsin | 52,337 | 5.8% | Centene |
| Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire | 48,268 | 5.4% | In-state |
| Network Health Plan | 46,843 | 5.2% | In-state |
| Quartz | 42,560 | 4.7% | In-state |
| Dean Health Plan | 40,211 | 4.5% | In-state |
| Independent Care (iCare) Health Plan | 36,713 | 4.1% | Humana |
| MercyCare Health Plans | 12,625 | 1.4% | In-state |
| Group Health Cooperative of South Central WI | 6,801 | 0.8% | In-state |
| My Choice Wisconsin | 1,282 | 0.1% | Molina Healthcare |
| Community Care Health Plan | 693 | 0.1% | In-state |
How Joining Works in Wisconsin
First the state: Wisconsin Medicaid (ForwardHealth) enrollment through the ForwardHealth Portal, which gives you the Medicaid ID every plan asks for. Then the plans: each takes its own participation request and credentials you from your CAQH ProView (DataSpring) profile. 5 parent companies run plans here, and plans owned by the same company still contract state by state.
How to Join Each Wisconsin Plan
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan (UnitedHealth Group): UnitedHealthcare Community Plans use UnitedHealthcare's provider onboarding: a participation request on the UnitedHealthcare provider site, credentialing from your CAQH ProView (DataSpring) profile, then a state-specific Community Plan agreement.
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (Elevance Health): Elevance Health plans take participation requests through the plan's provider site for that state, most of them now inside Availity Essentials, and credential from your CAQH ProView (DataSpring) profile. Each state is its own contract.
Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin, My Choice Wisconsin (Molina Healthcare): Molina credentials each state separately. The contract request goes through the state's Molina provider site and requires an active state Medicaid enrollment; credentialing uses your CAQH ProView (DataSpring) profile.
MHS Health Wisconsin (Centene): Centene runs this plan alongside its Ambetter and Wellcare products. Each Centene plan takes its own contract request on the plan's provider website, credentials from your CAQH ProView (DataSpring) profile, and will not load a provider without the state Medicaid ID.
Independent Care (iCare) Health Plan (Humana): Humana's Medicaid plans take participation requests through Humana's provider site for that state and credential from your CAQH ProView (DataSpring) profile.
Chorus Community Health Plans, Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire, Network Health Plan, Quartz, Dean Health Plan, MercyCare Health Plans, Group Health Cooperative of South Central WI, Community Care Health Plan: This plan is run in-state rather than by a national carrier, so participation requests go to the plan's own provider relations or contracting team, listed on its provider website.
Also in Wisconsin: Medicare, Wisconsin Medicaid (ForwardHealth) and commercial credentialing.
Questions
Which Wisconsin Medicaid plan is the largest?
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, with 217,773 members in 2024, 24.3% of the 896,034 people enrolled in Wisconsin's Medicaid managed-care plans.
Do I have to join every Wisconsin Medicaid plan?
No. Each plan is a separate contract. Practices usually start with the two or three largest plans in their county, then add others as patients ask for them. All of them require Wisconsin Medicaid (ForwardHealth) enrollment first.
Membership from KFF, Medicaid MCO Enrollment by Plan and Parent Firm, 2024. Plans change when the state rebids its contracts; we confirm the current list on every file.