The State of Wisconsin Group Health Insurance Program (GHIP) provides uniform health benefits to both state agencies and local government entities. Nearly a dozen health plans participate in the GHIP, providing coverage to nearly one-quarter million lives.
The Department of Employee Trust Funds appreciates your interest in the GHIP! Health plans interested in joining the GHIP must apply to join the program by first submitting a letter of intent, and then completing and submitting the new health plan application and required materials in a timely manner (deadlines detailed in the table below). See the Health Benefit Program New Health Plan Application under Related Resources on the right to get started. Submit the application and all application materials to etfsmbinsurancesubmit@etf.wi.gov.
If the application is approved by ETF, the information included in the application will be presented to the State of Wisconsin Group Insurance Board (Board) in February. If approved by the Board, there are then numerous other steps and activities that a plan must complete prior to officially joining the GHIP and offering health coverage to our members. These activities focus on onboarding the health plan and preparing for ETF’s annual open enrollment period (generally late September through most of October). Below is a list of immediate key dates to keep in mind when planning to submit an application for participation in the GHIP.
Health plans interested in joining the GHIP as administrators of the Access, Medicare Plus, or Medicare Advantage plan designs must contact ETF directly by phone at 1-888-533-5020 or via email at etfsmbinsurancesubmit@etf.wi.gov.
Any health plan that leaves the GHIP must wait at least three years before applying to rejoin the program.
| Due Date | Items Due |
|---|---|
| September 3, 2024 | Letter of Intent (LOI) due by 2:00p.m. (CT) |
| October 11, 2024 | Application Package due by 2:00p.m. (CT) |
| January 10, 2025 | Preliminary Bid tool and Network Access tool due |
| March 14, 2025 | Health Plan’s Implementation Plan due |
| May 9, 2025 | Signed 2026 Health Plan Agreement due |
Note: Additional action items and deliverables are required when onboarding a new health plan. ETF will provide more detailed information during the vetting process with a prospective new health plan.
Please feel free to contact ETF by phone at 1-888-533-5020 or by email at etfsmbinsurancesubmit@etf.wi.gov with any questions you may have about joining the GHIP or to explore further how your health plan can participate in a future year.