Prior Authorization Process Improvements: Revising the Prior Authorization Request Form, Vision Procedure Codes, and Prior Authorization RequirementsApril 17, 2026: This Update has been revised since its original publication. Information regarding the dental and orthodontic exception for PA requests requiring physical 3D models has been corrected on page 1 and 2.
Wisconsin Medicaid stopped requiring prior authorization (PA) for seven vision procedure codes beginning April 13, 2026. Beginning July 13, 2026, providers must submit PA requests electronically on the ForwardHealth Portal, and ForwardHealth will no longer accept PA requests by fax or mail, except for pharmacy PA submissions and dental or orthodontic 3D models. ForwardHealth also adopted a universal backdating policy for initial PA requests, and it removed the Returned-Provider Review PA status, so incomplete non-drug PA requests are denied rather than returned.