Since our beginning in 1946, people have always been at the center of WPS. We are committed to everyone our business touches—employees, leaders, partners, customers, beneficiaries, and communities.
Created more than 75 years ago as an arm of the Wisconsin State Medical Society, WPS was tasked with providing a health plan for military personnel returning from World War II. These Wisconsin residents needed health care and were having trouble affording it. The Wisconsin Plan developed by WPS helped them get the medical care they deserved. From there, the business grew.
In 1956, the U.S. Department of Defense named WPS the Wisconsin contractor for “Military Medicare,” later known as CHAMPUS, or the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services. Today, that program is called TRICARE, and WPS holds a variety of contracts and subcontracts that help millions of military personnel, active-duty and retired, get health care. Since 2001, WPS has been the only contractor for the TRICARE For Life program.
When Medicare was implemented in 1966, WPS was right there as the Medicare Part B administrator for Wisconsin. WPS continues to serve Medicare beneficiaries today. And because Medicare doesn’t cover everything, WPS also created the first Medicare supplement insurance plan in the state.
WPS became incorporated in 1977, taking the new legal name of Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation and separating from the State Medical Society.
Group health plans, a variety of individual health plans, and Medicare supplement insurance continued to draw thousands of customers as the company kept growing.
In 2014, WPS was rebranded as WPS Health Solutions. The new name reflects our commitment to providing new and better ways to serve customers and beneficiaries with solutions tailored to fit their needs. The company today remains focused on our military and seniors, pursuing new government contracts and expanding Medicare supplement insurance into more states to make getting health care easier for veteran and Medicare beneficiaries.
