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Katie Beckett Medicaid: How to Apply

You can now manage your Katie Beckett Medicaid benefits online!

Katie Beckett Medicaid members can now use the ACCESS website to manage their benefits.
 

What you need to know

  • Easier access: Manage your benefits, check your information, upload documents, and find other helpful programs and supports online.
  • Get started: Create an ACCESS account on the ACCESS website.
  • Already have an account? Use your existing ACCESS account for Katie Beckett Medicaid.

Need help with your ACCESS account?

If you have questions, contact Member Services at 800-362-3002 or visit the ACCESS support page. Please note that Katie Beckett Medicaid staff are not able to answer questions about ACCESS.

Katie Beckett Medicaid is a special eligibility pathway for children under 19 who have certain health care needs and live at home. Katie Beckett provides Medicaid health care coverage for children who qualify.

Steps to apply

  1. Apply by phone or online:
    • Call 888-786-3246 to speak to an eligibility specialist who can:
      • Explain more about Katie Beckett Medicaid.
      • Send you an application packet.
      • Set up a meeting with you and your child (the meeting can be virtual or in person).
    • Or, apply online: Use the secure ACCESS (ACCESS in Spanish) website to apply online, view your application status, upload required documents, and check benefit information.
      • Create an ACCESS account: Go to the ACCESS (ACCESS in Spanish) website and click “Create an Account.”
      • Enter your name, choose a user ID and password, and set up security questions.
      • If you already have an ACCESS account for other programs like BadgerCare Plus or FoodShare, you can use the same account for Katie Beckett Medicaid.
  2. Attend a meeting with an eligibility specialist. During the meeting, the eligibility specialist will:
  3. Use the ACCESS (ACCESS in Spanish) website to manage your application. Families can use the secure ACCESS website to:
    • Apply online.
    • View the status of their application.
    • Upload required documents.
    • Check benefit information.

What happens next?

A clinical team within the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) will review medical information to determine if the child meets the necessary eligibility criteria under the Social Security Act.

If all eligibility standards are met, the child is approved for Katie Beckett Medicaid.

Once you’re enrolled

If you enroll in Katie Beckett Medicaid, your eligibility will be reviewed each year. We’ll also review your child’s eligibility if there is a significant change to your child’s condition.

Call ForwardHealth Member Services at 800-362-3002 to report:

  • Problems getting a ForwardHealth Medicaid card.
  • Changes to your child’s insurance.

Call the Katie Beckett Central Office at 888-786-3246 to report:

  • Changes to your child’s address.
  • Changes to your child’s medical condition.
  • If your child is no longer living at home.

If you don't agree with a decision

If you don't agree with a decision, you can request a fair hearing with the Wisconsin Division of Hearing and Appeals (DHA).

  • A fair hearing is held in an informal setting (generally over the telephone) with a judge (called an administrative law judge). The judge listens to both sides, reviews all documents, and decides what to do about the decision being appealed.
  • A fair hearing gives you a chance to say why you think a wrong decision was made about the child’s eligibility.

Last revised April 24, 2025