Wisconsin Department of Health Services

What Wisconsin Department of Health Services does

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is a cabinet-level state government agency headquartered at 201 E. Washington Ave., Madison, Wisconsin, tasked with protecting and promoting the health and safety of the state's residents. It administers a broad portfolio of publicly funded health coverage and social service programs — BadgerCare Plus (Medicaid), ForwardHealth, SeniorCare (prescription drug assistance), FoodShare Wisconsin (SNAP), WIC, Family Care, IRIS self-directed long-term care, the Birth to 3 Program, and the Children's Long-Term Support Waiver — and operates specialized prevention and surveillance programs for lead poisoning, injury/violence, mental health crisis (988 Lifeline), LGBTQ+ health, and maternal/child health.

Underpinning these programs is an internal data and surveillance technology stack consisting of the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR), the Wisconsin Cancer Reporting System (WCRS) — a population-based central registry recognized as a CDC Registry of Excellence and NAACCR Gold Standard — the Wisconsin Interactive Statistics on Health (WISH) query system, WETRAC for newborn screening follow-up, and the CDC-developed Web Plus platform for secure cancer data transmission. The Wisconsin Newborn Screening Program screens infants for 50 blood disorders, hearing loss, and critical congenital heart disease, with congenital cytomegalovirus, X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy, and Mucopolysaccharidosis 1 added or pending between 2023 and 2026.

DHS does not generate revenue in the corporate sense; its operating model is funded through state appropriations and federal grants, most prominently a first-year $203.67 million Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) award under the Rural Health Transformation Program with potential to reach $1 billion over five years, plus cooperative agreement funding from CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries. Service delivery runs through a statewide distribution network of 72 local health departments, Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs), hospitals and providers, and digital self-service portals such as ACCESS for benefits and WISH for statistics. The agency serves the entire Wisconsin population — nearly 700,000 SNAP recipients, 40,000 new cancer cases tracked annually, and all infants born in the state for newborn screening.

Name

Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Legal name

Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Website

https://dhs.wisconsin.gov

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Wisconsin DHS is a state government agency headquartered in Madison that administers Medicaid (BadgerCare Plus), FoodShare, SeniorCare, long-term care, newborn screening, cancer surveillance, immunization tracking, and mental health crisis services to Wisconsin residents across all 72 counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Services

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (923120), Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Community Food Services (62421), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial/Regional Health Departments (HLAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Health Department & Public Health Administration (BPAIABAH), Healthcare-Linked Social Benefits Administration (e.g., Medicaid/Means-Tested Health Coverage) (BPAIAKAH), Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health Administration (BPAIAJAJ)

Keywords

• Public health services
• Medicaid administration
• Disease surveillance
• Newborn screening
• Health data systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal CMS Funding - Rural Health Transformation: First-year award of $203,670,005 from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as part of Rural Health Transformation Program, with potential up to $1 billion over five years
2. Federal SNAP/FoodShare Administration: Administrative funding for state FoodShare program ($72 million), responding to federal cost-sharing changes under Trump administration policies
3. State Mental Health Funding: $30 million for school-based mental health services and $7 million for virtual telehealth support during Mental Health Awareness Month initiatives
4. DSPS Grant Funding: State funding for Manufactured Housing Rehabilitation & Recycling Program through Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is a state government agency that administers publicly funded health coverage (BadgerCare Plus, ForwardHealth, SeniorCare), nutrition assistance (FoodShare, WIC), long-term care (Family Care, IRIS), and a portfolio of public health programs including newborn screening, cancer reporting, immunization registry, lead poisoning prevention, injury and violence prevention, and mental health crisis services (988 Lifeline). It operates statewide data systems such as WISH, WIR, WCRS, WETRAC, and Web Plus for surveillance and program administration.

Product overview

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services operates as a state government agency providing a comprehensive portfolio of health and social service programs organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core programs include health coverage programs (BadgerCare Plus, ForwardHealth, SeniorCare), nutrition assistance (FoodShare Wisconsin, WIC), and long-term care services (Family Care, IRIS, Children's Long-Term Support). Supporting platforms include the Wisconsin Newborn Screening Program, Wisconsin Cancer Reporting System (WCRS), Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR), and WISH data analytics system. The department also operates specialized prevention programs for lead poisoning, injury and violence prevention, mental health crisis services (988 Lifeline), LGBTQ+ health, and maternal/child health. These products work together through shared data systems including Web Plus for cancer reporting and WETRAC for newborn screening follow-up.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BadgerCare Plus
• FoodShare Wisconsin
• SeniorCare
• WIC Program
• IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct)
• Family Care
• Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR)
• Wisconsin Newborn Screening Program
• Wisconsin Cancer Reporting System (WCRS)
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• Injury and Violence Prevention Program
• Lead-Safe Homes Program (LSHP)
• Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP)
• LGBTQ+ Health Program
• Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Program
• Birth to 3 Program
• Children's Long-Term Support Waiver Program
• ForwardHealth
• Rural Health Transformation Program
• WISH (Wisconsin Interactive Statistics on Health) Query System

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 conditions screened through newborn screening program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2026Federal agency providing $203.67 million first-year award (up to $1 billion over five years) for Rural Health Transformation Program. CMS approval required for grant disbursement and contingent on program authorization under the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act'.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDC National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) provides cooperative agreement (NU58DP007146) funding and recognition. WCRS acknowledged for CDC support under CDC Cooperative Agreement DP22-2202.
• Wisconsin State Laboratory of HygienecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for newborn screening blood testing. Lab receives dried blood spot cards from birth providers and conducts testing for 50+ conditions. Also provides Parents Guide to Newborn Screening resources.
• Wisconsin Hospitals and Healthcare ProviderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRequired reporting partners under Wis. Stat. § 255.04. Report cancer cases within 6 months of diagnosis. Clinics and physicians report within 3 months. Support WCRS data collection for statewide cancer surveillance.
• Wisconsin Local and Tribal GovernmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in Rural Health Transformation Program implementation. Receive grants to address healthcare access in rural communities, mental health shortage areas, and primary care shortage areas across Wisconsin's 72 counties.
• University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in SHINE (Wisconsin Screening Hearts in Newborns) project for Critical Congenital Heart Disease screening implementation and pilot programs.
• Medical College of WisconsinstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in SHINE project for Critical Congenital Heart Disease screening alongside UW School of Medicine and State of Wisconsin.
• North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCRS data published in NAACCR's Cancer in North America report. WCRS certified as Gold Standard registry for incidence, survival, and prevalence data.
• Other State Cancer RegistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOut-of-state registries provide reports on Wisconsin residents diagnosed in their states through data exchange agreements with WCRS.
• Local Health DepartmentscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner72 local health departments across Wisconsin implementing public health programs, disease surveillance, lead poisoning prevention, and community health initiatives.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services: Michigan's combined health and human services agency operates Medicaid, SNAP, behavioral health, and public health surveillance. Functions as a direct structural peer covering both the health and social services portfolios that Wisconsin DHS delivers separately.
• Illinois Department of Public Health: Illinois's state public health agency administering the Illinois Cancer Registry, immunization program, and newborn screening. Midwest regional peer with similar population health priorities, federal funding dependencies, and rural/urban service mix challenges as Wisconsin DHS.
• Pennsylvania Department of Health: Pennsylvania's state health agency administers the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry, newborn screening program, and public health surveillance systems. Comparable to Wisconsin DHS in program scope, regulatory authority, and federal funding mix.
• California Department of Public Health: California's state-level public health agency operating disease surveillance, chronic disease prevention, and health equity programs across all 58 counties. Most directly comparable to Wisconsin DHS as a counterpart state health department with similar statutory scope over Medicaid, vital records, and population health data systems.
• Minnesota Department of Health: Minnesota's state health agency operates the Minnesota Cancer Reporting System, immunization registry (MIIC), and newborn screening. Upper Midwest peer with similar demographic profile, rural healthcare challenges, and integration with federal Medicaid and public health programs.
• Florida Department of Health: Florida's state health agency with county-level health department network structure paralleling Wisconsin's. Operates the Florida Cancer Data System, immunization registry (Florida SHOTS), and newborn screening — closely matching Wisconsin DHS's registry and screening program portfolio.
• New York State Department of Health: New York's state health department administers Medicaid, regulates healthcare facilities, runs the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS), and operates the New York State Cancer Registry. Direct functional equivalent to Wisconsin DHS with comparable cancer registry, newborn screening, and long-term care programs.
• Texas Department of State Health Services: Texas DSHS shares an almost identical agency name and mission to Wisconsin DHS, administering Medicaid, food benefits (via HHSC partnership), chronic disease prevention, and the Texas Cancer Registry. Operates at a much larger scale but provides the same core state health department functions.

Broad incumbents

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Federal public health agency that provides funding, certification standards (e.g., Registry of Excellence), and technical infrastructure (e.g., Web Plus) to Wisconsin DHS. Acts as the national umbrella for the same disease surveillance, immunization, and cancer registry functions DHS performs at the state level.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): Federal agency that funds Wisconsin DHS's Medicaid (BadgerCare Plus) and Rural Health Transformation Program ($203.67M award). Operates at federal scale but shares DHS's role as administrator of healthcare coverage and federal-state health program partnerships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DHSWI
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/dhswi
• Facebookfacebook.com/DHSWI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wisconsin-department-of-health-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/dhs.wi

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Wisconsin Department of Health Services