The content on this page is intended to share correspondence with community partners regarding member communications.
Gap Filling Changes to Eligibility Notice
Beginning on March 3, 2018, individuals who are found ineligible for BadgerCare Plus because their monthly income is above 100 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) will get a new message on their notice telling them that they may request an eligibility determination based on their annual income. The dollar amount shown in the message is the annual income limit of 100% of the FPL for their household size. Gap filling notice sample.
Department of Health Services is Mailing IRS 1095-B Tax Forms for 2017
The Department of Health Services (DHS) is mailing IRS 1095-B tax forms to members who had minimum essential coverage from a State of Wisconsin health care program in 2017. Some examples of State of Wisconsin health care programs that provide minimum essential coverage include BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid for the Elderly, Blind or Disabled. Health care programs such as Family Planning Only Services or SeniorCare are not considered programs that provide minimum essential coverage. Cover letter and 1095-B tax form sample.
Some SLMB+ Members Will See Change in Social Security Payments
On June 29, 2017, the Department of Health Services (DHS) is mailing is a letter to some Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary Plus (SLMB+) members to inform them of their upcoming change in eligibility. View a SLMB+ letter example. Members will get an official notice in August 2017. View an example notice that a member will receive when his or her benefits are changing.
Updates to the BadgerCare Plus, Medicaid, and Family Planning Only Services Health Care Renewal Process
The BadgerCare Plus, Medicaid, and Family Planning Only Services health care renewal process will be updated in 2017 to use information in a member’s case file, along with information available through electronic data exchanges, when possible, to renew a member’s health care benefits without requiring additional information or action from the member. Renewals for members who are receiving BadgerCare Plus, Family Planning Only Services, or Medicaid for the Elderly, Blind or Disabled benefits may be able to be completed using this new process if the renewal can be completed using the existing information in a member’s case, along with information available through electronic data exchanges.
If information is available to renew a member’s health care benefits, the member will receive a notice indicating his or her benefits have been renewed, along with a summary of information that was used to renew the benefits. The member must review the notice and report if any of the information is incorrect. If there are no changes, the member does not need to sign or return anything. View an example notice that a member will receive when his or her benefits have been renewed.
If information is not available to renew a member’s health care benefits, the member will receive a renewal notice and case summary. The member can renew his or her health care benefits by phone, by mail, online, or in person. If the member would like to renew his or her benefits by mail, the member can make any necessary updates to the case summary and send it back to the agency address listed on the first page of the renewal notice. View an example notice that a member will receive when they need to renew their benefits.
The local agency is not able to terminate or reduce a member’s benefits based solely on the information that is obtained from a data exchange. If a member’s case is reviewed through the new renewal process using data exchanges and it is determined that the member’s benefits should be terminated or reduced, the member will receive a renewal notice and case summary. The member will need to renew his or her health care benefits by phone, by mail, online, or in person.
The updated renewal process will be implemented statewide in May 2017 for renewals due on June 30, 2017. The updated renewal process will be piloted in the Central Consortium counties (Oneida, Langlade, Marathon, and Portage) in February 2017 for renewals due on March 31, 2017. This updated renewal process applies to health care benefits only, not to FoodShare, Caretaker Supplement, or Wisconsin Shares Child Care.
Notice of Pending Status
Effective January 21, 2017, if an application for FoodShare, BadgerCare Plus, Medicaid for the Elderly, Blind or Disabled, or Caretaker Supplement benefits is not approved or denied by the 30th day following the application filing date, a new notice explaining the pending status will be sent to the applicant. If the eligibility determination requires the applicant to take any actions, the notice will detail the required actions.
Case Summary for Members Renewing Health Care and/or Caretaker Supplement
Beginning on October 8, 2016, members will be sent a case summary along with their health care and/or Caretaker Supplement renewal notices. Sending a summary with the renewal notice is a new process that is being implemented to comply with provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA). A case summary will not be sent to a member renewing FoodShare benefits unless the member is renewing health care and/or Caretaker Supplement benefits at the same time. View an example of a case summary and renewal notice that members will be receiving beginning October 8, 2016.
Work Registration Requirements
Per federal regulations, effective September 24, 2016, the FoodShare program implemented a more detailed application, renewal, and interview process for determining the work registration status of FoodShare members and applicants. The new process will automate work registrant reports that are required for federal compliance of the FoodShare program. As a reminder, the work registration requirements are not new. FoodShare members ages 16 through 59 must comply with the work registration requirements as a condition of FoodShare eligibility, unless they meet an exemption. Members who do not comply with the work registration requirements are sanctioned from receiving FoodShare benefits.
If a member is sanctioned for failing to meet the FoodShare work registration requirements, the member will be sent a new sanction letter. The letter will indicate why the member received a sanction, the length of the sanction period, how the member can resolve the sanction, and that the member must reapply for FoodShare benefits once the sanction period is over. The sanction letter will be sent automatically when the member receives a sanction.
QUEST Card Replacement Fee
Starting July 1, 2016, FoodShare members who report a lost or stolen QUEST card may need to pay for a replacement card. In late May 2016, an informational letter about the fee will be sent to all FoodShare members notifying them about the change in policy. Letters will be sent to all open FoodShare cases with or without a FoodShare benefits balance on their QUEST card, and to closed cases that have a balance on their QUEST card.
Monitoring Replacement QUEST Cards
The letters below are sent by the Department of Health Services (DHS) to FoodShare households to let them know about the monitoring of replacement QUEST cards. The letters will start mailing on December 7, 2015.
| Name of Letter | Description | When do members receive this letter? |
|---|---|---|
| FoodShare Fourth Replacement QUEST Card Letter | The “Information about Your QUEST Card for FoodShare Benefits” letter provides information about proper QUEST card usage, as well as notification that the QUEST card account may be reviewed by the Office of the Inspector General for possible misuse of FoodShare benefits if a fifth replacement QUEST card is issued. |
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| FoodShare Five or More Replacement Quest Card Letter | The “Important Message from the Office of the Inspector General about Possible Misuse of FoodShare Benefits” letter states the number of replacement cards that have been requested, and provides notice that the QUEST card account is being reviewed by the OIG for possible misuse of FoodShare benefits. |
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| Conversion Letter to FoodShare Households with Four or More QUEST Cards | The “Information about Your QUEST Card for FoodShare Benefits” letter is sent regardless of a household's current FoodShare case status (open or closed) and provides information about proper QUEST card usage, as well as notification that the QUEST card account may be reviewed by the OIG for possible misuse of FoodShare benefits if a fifth replacement QUEST card is issued. |
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April 1, 2015 FoodShare Policy Change
The letters below are sent by the Department of Health Services (DHS) to FoodShare members to let them know about FoodShare policy effective April 1, 2015. The policy is applied on a rolling basis to current members who have a renewal on or after April 1, 2015. Members learn about the policy change when they receive their 45-day renewal letter, before the policy goes into effect for their household.
| Name of Letter | Description | When do members receive this letter? |
|---|---|---|
| FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) Monthly Letter | This letter lets members know about new FoodShare program rules that will apply at their next FoodShare renewal. It also contains information about meeting the work requirement and exemptions from the work requirement. |
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| FSET Service Provider Change Letter | This letter lets members know that their FSET service provider will be changing on April 1, 2015. |
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| FSET Program Referral Letter | This letter includes a list of members in the FoodShare household who have been referred to FSET. |
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| Time-Limited FoodShare Benefits Notification Letter | This letter notifies a FoodShare member when they have used one of their three time-limited FoodShare benefit months. The letter reminds the FoodShare member that their FoodShare benefits may end if they do not start meeting the work requirement or meet an exemption by their third time-limited benefit month. It also contains information about meeting the work requirement and exemptions from the work requirement. |
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| Time-Limited FoodShare Benefits Ending Letter | This letter notifies a FoodShare member that their FoodShare benefits will be ending because they have used all of their time-limited FoodShare benefits without meeting the work requirement. |
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Letters Available through MyACCESS
Members Can Get Letters Online Instead of by Regular Mail
Members can get letters and information about their benefits online instead of by regular mail. To make this choice, the member needs to contact their agency, or log in to their MyACCESS account at access.wi.gov. If a member does not have a MyACCESS account, they must create one to view their letters online.
