Overview

Wisconsin women seeking contraception are now able to get confidential family planning health care services and supplies through the Family Planning Waiver Program (FPWP). The goal of the FPWP is to help women reduce unintended pregnancy and obtain family planning health care services. Thanks to the Wisconsin Medicaid Family Planning Waiver Program, you might qualify to receive these services at no cost to you.

Frequently Asked Questions about the FPWP

• Who should consider this program?
• What services are included?
• Who can get these services?
• Who can I see?
• What do I need to apply?
• Where do I apply?
• What are my next steps?
• When can I receive services?

All eligible women wanting contraceptive or family planning services.

Birth control methods, supplies and family planning health care services which include:

• Routine reproductive health exams and tests
• Pregnancy testing and counseling
• Emergency contraception

Use the checklist below to see if you might qualify.

• I am a woman 15-44 years old.
• I am a U.S. citizen living in Wisconsin.
• I do not receive Wisconsin Medicaid, BadgerCare, or Healthy Start.
• I meet the income requirements.*

*Monthly Income Limits:
   One-person household $1,511
   Two-person household $2,035
   Four-person household $3,083

If you answered "yes" to all of the statements above, there is a good chance you qualify for the Family Planning Waiver Program.

Any Medicaid-certified provider can offer the FPWP services. You can receive these services from:

• UW-Eau Claire Student Health Service
• Family planning clinics
• Health departments
• Physicians
• Nurse practitioners
• Federally qualified health centers

New Federal Guidelines Effective Feb. 1, 2008

All persons born in Wisconsin applying or reapplying to the FPW program must:

• Complete an application form
• Provide proof of identity with a photo ID. Acceptable forms of proof:
• Blugold card; driver's license
• If employed, You MUST provide proof of income before Family Planning Waiver application can be processed. ONE of the following will be required:
• Copies of your pay stubs for previous 30 days prior to application.
• An employer verification form (you can obtain this form by contacting your caseworker or Human Services)
• A statement from your employer indicating: start date, number of hours worked per week, and rate of pay or salary.

All persons NOT born in Wisconsin applying or reapplying to the FPW program must:

• Complete an application form
• Provide proof of identity with a photo ID. Acceptable forms of proof:
• Blugold card; driver's license
• If employed, You MUST provide proof of income before Family Planning Waiver application can be processed. ONE of the following will be required:
• Copies of your pay stubs for previous 30 days prior to application.
• An employer verification form (you can obtain this form by contacting your caseworker or Human Services)
• A statement from your employer indicating: start date, number of hours worked per week, and rate of pay or salary.
• Provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Acceptable forms of proof:
• Certified copy of birth certificate
• Passport
• U.S. State Department Report of Birth Abroad
• Adoption papers showing U.S. birth

* These forms of I.D. can take up to 1-3 months to obtain.  Please do NOT apply to the program if you do not have acceptable proof of I.D.

**IMPORTANT NOTICE**
Your application/reapplication will be rejected by the Department of Human Services if proof of identity and U.S. citizenship are not provided as specified by the Family Planning Waiver Program. 

If your application/reapplication is rejected and you have received services through the program, you will be responsible for all visit charges, including lab work and supplies.

Student Health Service staff is available to provide more detailed information or answers to your questions. Please call 836-4311.

How To Request an Official Copy of Your Birth Certificate

Visit the National Center for Health Statistics to learn how to request an official copy of your birth certificate from the state in which you were born.

It may take 4 to 6 weeks to receive your birth certificate.

Information on How to Obtain a U.S. Passport
Visit the U.S. Department of State website.

You may apply for these benefits in person at:

UW-Eau Claire Student Health Service
Crest Wellness Center
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Phone: (715) 836-5360

-OR-

Eau Claire County Human Services
221 West Madison Street
Eau Claire, WI 54703
Phone: (715) 858-9675

If you answer "yes" to all the prior checklist questions, your next step is to contact the agency listed above and ask for an application for the Family Planning Waiver Program.

When you are at a clinic, you may apply and receive same-day services through a process called Presumptive Eligibility (PE). At the same clinic visit, you can apply for enrollment that lasts for a year. With PE the clinic assumes that you will qualify for the FPWP. If you apply to the FPWP and for some reason do not qualify, you will be responsible for any charges associated with your appointment. Remember that at every appointment you have the right to ask how much a procedure, lab test, or treatment costs.