State Group Health Insurance

State Group Health (SGH) insurance provides comprehensive medical, hospital, pharmaceutical, mental health, and behavioral benefits. An optional preventive dental plan (called Uniform Dental) is available, at extra cost.

You have 30 days from the date your employment begins to enroll. You may also apply for coverage within 30 days of certain life events.

Health Plan Designs

Employees covered by the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) have four health plan designs to choose from. Graduate Assistants and Short-Term Academic Staff have two plan design options.

Read more about plan design options

• Health Plan
• High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)
  with mandatory Health Savings Account (HSA)
  (not available for Graduate Assistants and Short-Term Academic Staff)
• Access Health Plan
• Access High Deductible Health Plan (Access HDHP)
  with mandatory Health Savings Account (HSA)
  (not available for Graduate Assistants and Short-Term Academic Staff)

Monthly Premiums

Monthly Premiums

• University Staff:  you must have two months of WRS state service before you can receive the employer contribution toward health insurance. If you choose to begin coverage before you are eligible for the employer contribution, you pay 100% of the total premium until the first of the month following two months of WRS state service.
• WRS employees working less than 50%:  you pay 50% of the total premium.
• University Staff Temporary Employees:  if you hold only one temporary appointment, you pay 50% of the total premium.

Provider Networks

If you are enrolling in the Health Plan, you choose one provider network as your network (i.e., the doctors you may visit) for the year.

Dane County (where UW–Madison is located) has three provider networks available:

• Dean Health
• Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin
• Quartz UW Health

Use the Health Plan Search to locate networks outside of Dane County.

There is one health plan that includes a state-wide and national network of providers:

• Access Plan administered by Dean 

Uniform Dental

You may add preventive dental coverage to your SGH plan. This plan is the only preventive dental offered. It cannot be elected on its own, but must be combined with SGH enrollment.

Read more about Uniform Dental

Pharmacy

If you enroll in SGH, your pharmacy benefits will be through a company called Navitus, regardless of which provider network or plan design you elect.

Read more about Pharmacy Benefits

Wellness Incentive

The Well Wisconsin Program is available to eligible employees, retirees, and their spouses enrolled in the group health insurance program. It provides services and resources through WebMD and rewards participants with a $150 cash incentive after completion of the WebMD health assessment, health screening, and a well-being activity. The incentive is taxable.

Wellness Incentive Information

Opt-Out Incentive

If you opt out of SGH coverage, you may be eligible to receive an Opt-Out Incentive. Only WRS eligible employees are eligible for the incentive. You must submit a timely opt-out election. Annual re-enrollment is required to continue the opt-out incentive.

Read more about the Opt-Out Incentive