Telehealth Expansion and Related Resources for Providers

The purpose of this page is to communicate the latest telehealth policy and provide telehealth resources for providers. It includes summaries and explanations of recently published materials, FAQs, and resources related to telehealth.

Background on Telehealth Expansion

ForwardHealth has expanded the definition of telehealth in permanent policy to mean the use of telecommunications technology by a Medicaid-enrolled provider to deliver health care services including assessment, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, or transfer of medically relevant data in a functionally equivalent manner as that of an in-person contact. Telehealth may include real-time interactive audio-only communication. Telehealth does not include communication between a provider and a member that consists solely of an email, text, or fax transmission.

“Functionally equivalent” means that when a service is provided via telehealth, the transmission must be of sufficient quality as to be the same level of service as an in-person visit. Transmission of voices, images, data, or video must be clear and understandable.

In addition to expanding the definition of telehealth, ForwardHealth has added permanent coverage via telehealth for currently covered services that are functionally equivalent to an in-person visit. ForwardHealth has also expanded coverage for certain synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (“store and forward”, not real-time) services.

ForwardHealth Online Handbook—Telehealth Policies

The ForwardHealth Online Handbook is an updated repository of current, permanent ForwardHealth policies.

Permanent policy changes made by ForwardHealth can be found in published ForwardHealth Updates, Alerts, and the Online Handbook. Providers are encouraged to use the Online Handbook when referencing permanent policies. Permanent telehealth policy can be found in the Telehealth chapter of the Online Handbook.

To get to the Telehealth chapter, follow the directions below:

1. Visit the ForwardHealth Portal home page.
2. Click Online Handbooks under the Policy and Communication heading, located lower on the page in the center column.
3. Click “I Accept” at the bottom of the license agreement page and then Submit Agreement.
4. Under Select an Online Handbook on the left side of the webpage, select BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid from the Choose a program: drop-down menu.
5. Click the Choose a service area: drop-down menu and select the appropriate service area.
6. Under View Sections and Chapters, select the Telehealth chapter from the Covered and Noncovered Services section.
7. Select the appropriate topic.

Frequently Asked Questions

ForwardHealth has answered FAQs (last updated April 21, 2023) from providers about telehealth policy changes. Questions and their answers regarding temporary policy during the public health emergency are included in the PDF.

Additional Information

For additional information about telehealth expansion, visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Medicaid Telehealth Expansion webpage.

Contact

For policy and billing related questions, contact Provider Services at 800-947-9627.