Ways to apply for BadgerCare Plus
These are the channels Wisconsin names on its own Medicaid pages. Use whichever is easiest.
- Online
-
Apply online
access.wi.gov
- In person
- Local county or Tribal agency during office hours. Find an office
- By mail
- Get the paper application
- HealthCare.gov
- You can also apply at HealthCare.gov any time of year. If anyone in your household looks eligible for Medicaid, it sends your information to Wisconsin's agency.
- Decision time
- Federal rules give the state up to 45 days to decide, or 90 days if you apply based on a disability (42 CFR 435.912).
Read on the state's own pages, October 13, 2026.
Key facts at a glance
- Pregnant women eligible up to 306% FPL ($79,010 for a family of three in 2025).
- Children 0-5 eligible up to 306% FPL ($79,010 for a family of three).
- Parents eligible up to 100% FPL only, no expansion adult category.
- Postpartum Medicaid still ends at 60 days.
Wisconsin Medicaid, topic by topic
Eligibility
Income limits & who qualifies
BadgerCare Plus covers pregnant women up to 306% of the federal poverty line ($79,010 annual income for a family of three in 2025).
How to apply
How to apply step by step
Apply online at access.wi.gov.
Doula coverage
Doula coverage details
BadgerCare Plus has a Medicaid doula benefit pending CMS approval.
Postpartum extension
12-month postpartum status
BadgerCare Plus still ends postpartum Medicaid at 60 days, one of a shrinking number of states that have not adopted the federal 12-month o…
Pregnant women
Pregnancy coverage in full
BadgerCare Plus covers pregnancy-related care up to 306% of the federal poverty line (about $79,010 annual income for a family of three in …
Renewal
Annual renewal & unwinding
BadgerCare Plus redetermines eligibility at least once every 12 months under 42 CFR 435.916. During the 2023+ unwinding, roughly 69% of dis…
For Black families
Roughly 175,000 Black residents are enrolled in BadgerCare Plus, per the most recent CMS T-MSIS analytic file. The number understates true eligibility: every state has Black eligibles who aren't currently enrolled, usually because of the administrative-churn rates that rose sharply during the 2023 unwinding.
Wisconsin covers childless adults up to 100% of the federal poverty line through BadgerCare Plus Core, the only non-expansion state with a direct adult benefit, but has declined the ACA's enhanced match. Wisconsin also has not adopted the federal 12-month postpartum option; coverage still ends at 60 days. ABC for Health and Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health have pushed for both changes.
For enrollment help: look for your state's Navigator program (federally funded under the ACA), a Federally Qualified Health Center in your county (every FQHC has certified application counselors on staff), or one of the named community organizations below. Our FQHC directory filters to this state at /clinics/wi/.
More on Wisconsin from Black Health
FQHCs
Federally Qualified Health Centers in Wisconsin
Sliding-scale clinics that take Medicaid + help with applications.
Providers
Providers who accept Medicaid in Wisconsin
Filter our directory to Wisconsin by specialty.
Health data
Black Health outcomes in Wisconsin
Maternal mortality, life expectancy, uninsured rate by race.
Sickle cell
Medicaid gene-therapy coverage in Wisconsin
Does Wisconsin Medicaid cover Casgevy + Lyfgenia? SCDAA chapter, comprehensive centers.
Hospitals
Safety-net hospitals in Wisconsin
CMS ratings, Medicaid-accepting hospitals, and which facilities anchor care for Black patients.
Tool
Medicaid eligibility pre-check for Wisconsin
Household size and income, in about a minute. Direct link to Wisconsin’s apply portal.
WIC
WIC in Wisconsin
Adjunctive WIC eligibility for everyone on BadgerCare Plus, monthly food package + Cash-Value Benefit.
SNAP
SNAP (food stamps) in Wisconsin
Federal food assistance: FY 2025 max benefits, ABAWD rules, application URL for Wisconsin.
TANF
TANF cash assistance in Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s maximum monthly TANF cash benefit, time limits, and how to apply.
Data sources
- BadgerCare Plus — state Medicaid portal.
- KFF State Health Facts, Medicaid income eligibility + expansion + enrollment tables (kff.org/statedata).
- National Health Law Program doula Medicaid project (healthlaw.org/doulamedicaidproject).
- March of Dimes Report Card, 12-month postpartum extension tracker (marchofdimes.org/report-card).
- CMS T-MSIS Analytic Files, Medicaid enrollment by race and ethnicity (medicaid.gov/dq-atlas).
- HHS Poverty Guidelines, 2025 Federal Register release.
Data refreshed:
If you have Medicaid, the coverage on this page is the route to use first: it costs you nothing and it is what these programs exist for. If you are not covered yet, there is still a free option. Our directory of free and charitable clinics lists centers by state. The option below is self-pay and is not billed to Medicaid. It is here for readers who are between coverage or who prefer to pay out of pocket:
See a doctor online today.
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- Price shown before you book
- No insurance needed
with Sesame Care
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