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Certain members within a household may enroll in an HMO on a voluntary basis (see SECTION 38.4.1.1 VOLUNTARY HMO ENROLLMENT) or qualify for an exemption from HMO enrollment (see SECTION 38.4.5 ENROLLMENT EXEMPTIONS). HMO enrollment always begins the 1st of a month. The month in which enrollment begins depends on the time of the month when eligibility was established or when the member’s enrollment status changed: • If eligibility was established prior to the 10th of the month, HMO enrollment will begin the 1st of the following month. • If eligibility was established on the 10th of the month or later, HMO enrollment will begin the 1st of the month following the next month. Until a member’s HMO enrollment has started, the member will receive their services on a fee-for- service basis, which means they can receive covered services from any BadgerCare Plus-certified provider. If the member’s enrollment status changes during the month (for example, going from being exempt from HMO enrollment to no longer being exempt), the member will be enrolled in an HMO effective the 1st of the following month. Retroactive enrollment (backdating HMO enrollment) may be allowed in some circumstances but may also require approval from the HMO. Members who would like to request backdated enrollment should contact the HMO Enrollment Specialist at 800-291-2002. The HMO Enrollment Specialist will review retroactive enrollment backdating requests and coordinate with the HMO if necessary. The list of medical status codes under which a member is eligible for BadgerCare Plus HMO enrollment can be found on the Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.. This list does not differentiate between voluntary or mandatory HMO enrollment. It is only a compilation of all Medical Status codes under which a member could be enrolled in an HMO. 38.4.1.1 Voluntary HMO Enrollment Voluntary HMO enrollment means a member is not required to enroll in an HMO but can choose to enroll in an HMO if they want to. Someone is considered voluntary for BadgerCare Plus HMO enrollment if they meet any of the following criteria: • The member is residing in a service area where there is only one HMO available. • The member reports they are Native American, American Indian, an Alaskan Native, or a member of a federally recognized tribe, or has verified their tribal member status for eligibility purposes. If anyone within the household meets the voluntary enrollment criteria listed above, everyone in the household who is enrolled in BadgerCare Plus is considered voluntary. 38.4.2 HMO Selection and Assignment Members can choose an HMO after they are found eligible for BadgerCare Plus. Applicants who are applying for benefits online through ACCESS can indicate an HMO preference when they submit their application. Indicating a preference does not guarantee they will be enrolled in the HMO they selected when they submitted the application, but the preference will be taken into account when assigning the member to an HMO after they become eligible for benefits. If the member did not indicate a preference