Children's Long-Term Support: How do providers get paid?
CLTS Claims are now being processed through the ForwardHealth Portal
For more information please contact the CLTS Operations Team at 844-942-5870 or cltsoperations@
Steps to get paid
Step 1
Before you deliver a service, make sure you have a prior authorization (PA) from the county waiver agency (CWA) of the county the participant lives in.
The PA will have the service, rate, and frequency that is approved for the child. Once you have a PA from the CWA, you may deliver the service.
Step 2
After delivering the authorized service to the Children's Long-Term Support (CLTS) Program participant, you will submit a claim for that service.
Claims processor update
You can begin submitting claims with Gainwell Technologies, the new CLTS claims processor, in the ForwardHealth Portal on April 28, 2025. Your claims will be processed on May 5, 2025.
For information about the new claims processor for the CLTS program visit the ForwardHealth CLTS
The ForwardHealth Portal offers a few streamlined ways to submit claims.
- Direct data entry: you can enter a new claim right into the portal.
- Copy a claim: the portal allows you to copy information from a paid claim to a new claim. You can then make any needed edits before submitting your new claim.
- Create a claim from a prior authorization: you can create a claim using a PA. It will prepopulate information on the claim based on the PA.
You can submit claims for dates of services before the transition date. You have 365 days from when the service happened to submit a claim.
Step 3
Know how you’ll get paid. You can get paid in one of two ways:
- Electronic funds transfers (EFT), which is a direct deposit to a
bank account of your choosing - Paper check in the mail
If you want to get paid via EFT, you’ll have to sign up for EFT in the ForwardHealth Portal. EFT information from WPS does not carry over. Only a clerk from your organization who has been assigned the EFT role can sign up for EFT. Once you sign up for EFT, you cannot revert to receiving paper checks.
You can change your EFT information at any time. Signing up for EFT does not change your Remittance Advice.
Claims processor
The claims processor for the CLTS Program is Gainwell Technologies, LLC. (GWT), using the ForwardHealth Portal (the Portal).
Who do I contact with questions?
Enrolling as a provider
Contact the CLTS Provider Contact Center at 833-940-1576 or email dhscltsprovider@
- Answer questions about the enrollment process.
- Help you navigate the provider directory.
Getting authorizations to provide services
Contact the local county waiver agencies. They can:
- Help direct care workers get set up with a fiscal agent or other agency.
- Help you find more information about becoming a provider in a certain county.
Claims submission and payment
Contact the claims processor. They can answer questions about claims submission and payment:
Call: 844-942-5870
Email: cltsoperations@
Monday through Friday: 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Provider claims processing events and communications
More events coming soon!
Provider webinars
July 30, 2025: ForwardHealth Portal Other Insurance Claims Training
- Agenda: Scope of training, background on other insurance, applicable CLTS service codes, finding the participant’s other insurance, other insurance indicator OI-Y, demo, questions and answers, resources
- Jul. 30, 2025 recording (opens external video)
- Jul. 30, 2025, presentation (PDF)
July 16 and 17, 2025
- Agenda: Converted PAs, date span billing, PA not found, modifiers and place of service (POS) codes, diagnosis pointer code, other Insurance attachments, not otherwise specified durable medical equipment (DME) code attachments, claim status, remittance advice
- Jul. 16, 2025, recording (opens external video)
- Jul. 17, 2025, recording (opens external video)
- Jul. 16 and 17 presentation (PDF)
April 16, 2025
- Agenda: Project timeline, implementation dates, finding your Medicaid ID, multiple dates of service, code crosswalk, place of service codes, payment and remittance advice schedules, outstanding checks and recovery
- Apr. 16, 2025 recording (opens external video)
- Apr. 16, 2025, presentation (PDF)
March 19, 2025
- Agenda: Project timeline, implementation dates, Submission Sandbox testing, Hypercare plan, PA batches, provider TPA transition, webpage: what’s new?, CLTS Operations Center support, training opportunities
- Mar. 19, 2025, recording (opens external video)
- Mar. 19, 2025, presentation (PDF)
December 17, 2024
- Agenda: Project timeline, implementation dates, payment and electronic funds transfer, date span clarifications and examples, International Classification of Diseases Tenth Edition (ICD-10) codes on Wisconsin Physicians Service (WPS) transfer prior authorizations, prior authorization number on claims, ForwardHealth Portal access, provider testing process and submission sandbox, training information
- Dec. 17, 2024 recording (opens external video)
October 31, 2024
- Agenda: Project timeline, provider survey, implementation dates, new payment and remittance advice schedules, Medicaid IDs, date span billing, direct data entry rejections, training information, what’s next
- Oct. 31, 2024, recording (opens external video)
- Oct. 31, 2024, presentation (PDF)
August 21 and August 28, 2024
- Agenda: Project timeline, third-party administrator (TPA) transition webpage, implementation dates, new overpayment recovery process, summary of design changes, what’s next
- August 21, 2024, recording (opens external video)
- August 28, 2024, recording (opens external video)
- Aug. 21 and 28, 2024, presentation (PDF)
Demonstration sessions
November 13, 2024: Overview of Portal Navigation and Claims Submission Options
- Agenda: Navigating the ForwardHealth Portal, portal resources, claim submission options, direct data entry, paper claim, 837 submission
- November 13, 2024, recording (opens external video)
- November 13, 2024 presentation (PDF)
August 13 and 15, 2024, How to Submit an 837 Demonstration
- Agenda: 837 claims, converting Excel files to 837 claims, uploading 837 files to the ForwardHealth Portal, finding help
- August 13, 2024, recording (opens external video)
- August 15, 2024, recording (opens external video)
July 24 and 25, 2024, Portal and Claims Submission Demonstration Sessions
- Agenda: Navigating the ForwardHealth portal, claim submissions options, where to find resources
- July 24, 2024, recording (opens external video)
- July 25, 2024, recording (opens external video)
- July 24 and 25, 2024, presentation (PDF)
Provider forums
May 16, 2024, CLTS TPA Transition Provider Forum
- Agenda: Updated project timeline, ForwardHealth portal, claims submission general updates, claims submission options, Medicaid IDs
- May 16, 2024, recording (opens external video)
- May 16, 2024, presentation (PDF)
January 11, 2024, CLTS Program TPA Transition Financial Management Services Provider Forum
- Agenda: CLTS TPA transition overview, forum objectives, claims submission functionality, viewing claims, viewing prior authorizations
- Jan. 11, 2024, recording (opens external video)
- Jan. 11, 2024, presentation (PDF)
January 9, 2024, CLTS Program TPA Transition Financial Management Services Provider Forum
- Agenda: CLTS TPA transition overview, forum objectives, claims submission functionality, viewing claims, viewing prior authorizations
- Jan. 9, 2024, recording (opens external video)
- Jan. 9, 2024, presentation (PDF)
January 4, 2024, CLTS Program TPA Transition Financial Management Services Provider Forum
- Agenda: CLTS TPA transition overview, forum objectives, claims submission functionality, viewing claims, viewing prior authorizations
- Jan. 4, 2024, recording (opens external video)
- Jan. 4, 2024, presentation (PDF)
November 30, 2023, CLTS Program TPA Transition
- Agenda: CLTS TPA transition overview, claims submission functionality, viewing claims history and prior authorizations
- Nov. 30, 2023, recording (opens external video)
- Nov. 30, 2024, presentation (PDF)
- Fact Sheet: Multiple Dates of Service on a
Claim (Jul. 18, 2025) - Children's Long-Term Support (CLTS) Claims Attachments and Updated
Instructions (Jul. 11, 2025) - Fact Sheet: Multiple Dates of Service on a
Claim (Jul. 18, 2025) - Children's Long-Term Support (CLTS) Claims Attachments and
Instructions (Jun. 13, 2025) - Updated Information on Prior Authorization Conversion and Next
Steps (Jun. 6. 2025) - Submitting Claims on Converted Prior
Authorizations (Jun. 5, 2025) - New and Updated Documents Available for the ForwardHealth Portal
Transition (Jun. 4, 2025) - ForwardHealth Claim
Information (May 23, 2025) - ForwardHealth Prior Authorization Conversion
Process (May 7, 2025) - ForwardHealth Portal Message
Center (May 7, 2025) - Resources to Support Submitting Claims Using
837s (May 5, 2025) - Finding Prior Authorization
Numbers (Apr. 30, 2025) - Questions About the CLTS Program? Make Sure Your Email Gets to the Right
Place (Apr. 29, 2025) - Electronic Funds Payments (EFT) for TPA
Transition (Apr. 25, 2025) - Children’s Long-Term Support ForwardHealth Portal Welcome and PIN
Letters (Jan. 30, 2025)