With WEA Trust no longer available in 2023, many of us need to find a new health insurance plan carrier. The following steps can help with this process.
- Determine which doctors and hospitals/clinics that you and your covered dependents currently use.
- Visit the Health Plan Search website: https://etf.wi.gov/its-your-choice/2023/health-plan-search/state
- Enter your county in the Where You Want to Get Care box (ex. Brown County)
and click Submit. (Make sure to click on the county name that displays under the box when you are typing it in.) This will list only those carriers who have coverage in that county.
- Access Plan by Dean – provides freedom of choice for doctors and hospitals across the country, however the monthly premium is quite a bit higher (premiums: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/premiums/). The other carriers are regional plans, and you would need to see a provider covered by that carrier – out-of-network benefits are only covered for emergency and urgent care services.
- Robin – there is a place for a member log in, but you can skip that. On their search page, click “Find a doctor” and then click “State of Wisconsin Robin Network Directory (PDF)”.
- Review the Major Health Systems listed under each carrier, and look for the
hospitals/clinics that you use. For example, Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative has Advocate Aurora Health Care, ThedaCare, and BayCare Clinic. - Click on the carrier name, and then View Provider Directory to see which doctors are covered. The Health Plan Carrier’s phone number is also listed right there, so you can contact them if you have questions.
- You may be able to search online in their provider directory, or it may open a PDF document of providers. If the provider directory is a PDF, you can click [CTRL] + [F] to get a search bar. Then type in the last name of your doctor and hit Enter.
- What if my primary care provider is covered, but my specialist is not?
- If your specialist is not covered, but your primary care provider is, you will have to decide which you would rather change. Contact your current provider for recommendations on selecting a new provider or contact your new health plan for help.
- You can also consider switching to the Access plan, which has nationwide coverage, but the monthly premium is higher.
- If you are in the middle of medical treatment or have complex healthcare needs, it’s a good idea to contact the health plan you are interested in and explain your care situation, so they can help guide you through the transition.
- Transitioning Care information from the Department of Employee Trust Funds:
Questions? Please stop by a Benefits Open Lab, schedule a meeting with a Benefits Specialist, attend the Health Plan Fair, or email hr@uwgb.edu.