DHS seeks Menominee County Medicaid ambassadors for state council

The questions Menominee County Medicaid members know best, from finding a provider to untangling renewal paperwork, were the ones Wisconsin officials wanted to hear as they recruited two new ambassadors for a state council meant to change how Medicaid works on the ground. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services sought one applicant living in Menominee County and one who is a member of a Tribal nation, with applications open through May 31.

The Wisconsin Medicaid Member Experience Council is built to bring member experience directly to decision-makers. DHS says ambassadors talk with the Medicaid director and staff about what is working, what is not working and what could help fix it. The members serve three-year terms and attend eight meetings each year, and DHS says those meetings are open to the public.

The push comes as Medicaid remains central to health coverage in Wisconsin. DHS describes Wisconsin Medicaid as the state’s largest health care coverage system and says BadgerCare Plus covers children, pregnant people, adults and people with disabilities. That matters in Menominee County, where access to care often runs through Keshena and through the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin’s own eligibility systems and services.

The timing also reflects the strain created by the post-pandemic Medicaid unwinding. A June 2024 Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Watch and Isthmus report said more than 360,000 Wisconsin residents lost Medicaid during the unwinding process, and about 30% of those up for renewal faced disenrollment, often because of procedural problems. For families already dealing with limited transportation, language barriers, unstable work schedules or complicated paperwork, those losses can become a direct health setback, not just an administrative problem.

DHS has also kept tribal consultation in the mix as it writes Medicaid policy. Its 2025-2027 Medicaid managed care quality strategy went through tribal consultation on Sept. 11, 2024, tribal notice on Sept. 23, 2024, a public comment period from Sept. 23 to Oct. 25, 2024, and final submission to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Dec. 13, 2024. DHS says it maintains separate eligibility pages for Menominee County and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, and it lists tribal benefit specialists to help members navigate Medicaid and other benefits.

For Menominee County residents still trying to sort coverage, the DHS Community Resource Center in Keshena remains the local office at W3236 Wolf River Drive, PO Box 411, Keshena, WI 54135. Lobby hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and closed Saturday and Sunday.