Insuring Wisconsin's Health Since 1946.

In the second half of the 1940s, Wisconsin residents faced a variety of challenges. World War II had ended and soldiers were returning home to the U.S. and starting families. However, people were faced with shortages of jobs, housing, food, and materials.

On top of these troubles, Wisconsin residents were struggling to pay for necessary health care. In response, the State Medical Society developed a low-cost insurance product, called the Wisconsin Plan, which permitted Wisconsin residents to budget the costs of health care. In 1946, the Medical Society established Wisconsin Physicians Service (WPS) to market and administer the plan.

There have been many changes over the years since then, but affordable health care is still among people's top concerns. Big programs were added, like Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and now the Affordable Care Act. Different types of health plans were created, from HMOs to PPOs to point-of-service plans. Through it all, WPS was always at the forefront, offering flexible, cost-effective health plan solutions to the individual, small group, large group, and senior markets.

WPS Leads the Way

Today, more than 65 years later, WPS continues to lead by offering our members the stability, experience, and personalized service that have become our hallmark. WPS is one of the largest health benefits providers in the state. It remains Wisconsin's only not-for-profit insurer offering health plans statewide to the public and private sectors. With offices in Eau Claire, Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, and Wausau, we're deeply committed to this state and its citizens.

From traditional PPO plans and self-funded administration to consumer-driven options such as our HSA-qualified high-deductible, and HRA, WPS offers a broad array of health insurance plans to meet the needs of our group and individual customers. In addition, more than 35,000 Wisconsin seniors have turned to us for supplemental insurance that helps them fill the gaps left by Medicare, and more than 25,000 have enrolled in our Medicare Part D plan.

Plus, our comprehensive provider networks include the physicians, specialists, clinics, and hospitals across Wisconsin that our customers know and trust. We also offer national networks to cover out-of-state health care needs.

We round out our product offerings through our wholly owned subsidiaries, Arise Health Plan, The EPIC Life Insurance Company and WPS Community Bank. Arise Health Plan, based in Green Bay, offers HMO and point-of-service plans to the group and individual markets in Eastern and North-Central Wisconsin. Arise is an NCQA-accredited regional health plan that strives to provide outstanding customer service, develop lasting provider partnerships, and deliver competitive rates and comprehensive coverage to its members. The EPIC Life Insurance Company, a leader in non-medical group benefits for more than 25 years, offers term life, disability, dental, vision, and voluntary benefits throughout the Midwest. WPS Community Bank provides personalized banking services to individuals and small to mid-size businesses in Dane County and throughout Wisconsin. It's an active mortgage lender and also offers a complete portfolio of business loans and commercial real estate financing, including SBA-guaranteed lending products.

Millions of Seniors and Military Families Count on Us

The strong track record of success WPS has in efficiently meeting the health coverage requirements of Wisconsin residents led to significant administrative contracts with the United States government.

• Medicare Parts A & B – WPS has been a contractor with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) since the Medicare program began. Through current contracts, the WPS Medicare division administers Part A benefits in 47 states and Part B benefits in nine states including: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, effectively making WPS one of the largest contractors for the world’s largest health care financing entity. In 2012, the WPS Medicare division processed 177 million claims, with benefit payments of $44 billion for approximately 10 million beneficiaries.
• TRICARE – WPS Health Insurance provides claims administration, customer service, and other related activities for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) TRICARE beneficiaries and their families at home and overseas. WPS is the prime contractor for the TRICARE for Life program, administering claims on behalf of the Department of Defense for all 50 states and U.S. territories. WPS is also partnered with International SOS and administers TRICARE benefits for all overseas countries. In 2012, we processed 65.9 million claims for more than 2 million beneficiaries, making benefit payments in excess of $6.8 billion.

Put WPS to Work for You

By staying true to our Midwestern values, and providing affordable health plans and superior service, WPS is poised to continue building upon our solid foundation to meet tomorrow's health benefits needs. We invite you to learn more about how WPS can work for you by contacting us today.