Change Healthcare Service Interruption: Resources for ForwardHealth Providers

Change Healthcare experienced a network service interruption in February 2024. This was a nationwide event. ForwardHealth acted quickly to ensure protection of member and provider information by taking down its connection to Change Healthcare. Since this incident, Change Healthcare and ForwardHealth have restored connections for point-of-sale claims and batch X12 electronic transactions. However, providers remain unable to use Change Healthcare for Safe Harbor transactions and should continue to use alternate methods of confirming member eligibility, claim status, and remittance information. ForwardHealth is working with Change Healthcare on these transactions and will post information when they are once again available.

ForwardHealth Alerts

ForwardHealth has published the following Alerts regarding this issue:

• CH-001, Service Interruption Affecting Pharmacy Transactions (02/22/24)—Note: As of April 3, 2024, pharmacy POS claims submission is available. Refer to Alert CH-005 for more information.
• CH-002, Service Interruption Affecting ForwardHealth Providers (02/22/24)
• CH-003, Claim Submission Options for Providers Unable to Use Electronic Transactions (02/27/24)
• CH-004, Good Faith Drug Dispensing During Change Healthcare Service Interruption (02/28/24)
• CH-005, Pharmacy Point-of-Sale Claims Submission Now Available (04/03/24)

Claim Submission Options

In addition to billing through electronic transactions, providers may use one of the following methods to submit claims to ForwardHealth:

• Direct Data Entry (DDE) on the ForwardHealth Portal
• Paper claim submission
• Provider Electronic Solutions software

Designating a New Trading Partner

To designate a trading partner to send and receive transactions, providers must complete the following steps:

1. Log in to the ForwardHealth Portal. Click the Providers button on the home page.
2. Once on the secure Providers page, select Designate 835 Receiver from the Quick Links menu.
3. Enter the identification number of the trading partner that is to send and/or receive transactions in the Trading Partner ID field.
4. Click Save.

These changes are saved in real time in the Portal.

Note: The Portal user must have the 835 Designation Portal clerk role to designate a trading partner. If a user does not have this role, they may contact their Portal administrator.

For assistance, providers may contact the EDI help desk at VEDSWIEDI@wisconsin.gov.

Eligibility Verification Options

Providers can verify a member’s enrollment through Wisconsin’s Electronic Verification System by:

• Calling WiCall, Wisconsin's automated voice response system, at 800-947-3544. WiCall is available 24 hours a day, all year long.
• Logging in to the ForwardHealth Portal.
• Using services through a commercial enrollment verification vendor.

General Resources

The following resources are available:

• DHS CHC Outage page
• DHS Talking Points
• Change Healthcare Incident Information page