Vermont WIC MIS/EBT Project

What is WIC EBT and How Will It Change Vermont WIC?

The food delivery change is actually a two-part process … Migration from Home Delivery to Retail

Migration from paper Food Instruments (FIs) to Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT)

Current Food Delivery

Triple system:

(1) POD and home delivery

(2) Direct distribution for special formulas

(3) EBT cash value for fruits & veggies

Paper-based, faxing, scanning, phoning

Financial reconciliation and payment done manually

Limitations on participant food choices

Interruptions to delivery; concerns about food quality

Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) will:

Make food delivery process paperless

Provide more food choices

Increase use of fruit and veggie benefit

Simplify financial management

Increase accountability

Gather better information about benefit use for nutrition

counseling & education

HOW????

WIC Benefit Issuance

As with home delivery, an electronically stored account is created for each household at the time of certification and assignment of food package. (The account is created by Ceres.)

The account lists foods by category (e.g. milk), subcategory (e.g. non-fat) and quantity (e.g. 2 qts)

A message with the account information is sent by Ceres to the EBT “Host” computer for accessing by grocers

At the clinic, the household is issued a single card for accessing all participating members’ benefits stored on the EBT Host

Recertified households use the same card. Only the stored account (not the card) is modified at recertification.

Connecting at the Grocer’s

Foods on the Vermont Authorized Products List are identified to retail vendors using nationally standardized UPC and PLU codes so their scanners can recognize WIC eligible foods. Grocers download this list to their electronic cash register (ECR) systems.

Grocer systems will be set up to:

1. “Read” the WIC participant’s card for household identity; then…

2. Connect with the EBT system Host computer to “read” the food prescription for that household that is electronically stored there; and then…

3. Compare the scanned foods for WIC eligible foods available in the household’s account; and then …

4. Send a message to the EBT Host identifying the eligible foods purchased, to “debit” the household’s electronic account, and post the charge for each item.

The WIC EBT Transaction

Cashier scans foods

1. Item UPC is compared to APL stored in grocer system-- Is this UPC on the APL? (That is, is this a WIC food?)

2. The grocer’s ECR “flags” and stores the WIC eligible foods until all foods are scanned

Participant swipes or inserts card and enters PIN. System validates card, PIN and retailer

Cashier “totals” the transaction

1. Flagged WIC items are compared to participant’s WIC account, stored on the WIC EBT Host. Is this item in the participant’s prescribed food account? (eg. Does her account contain 18 oz. peanut butter?)

2. EBT system approves or denies transaction

The WIC EBT Transaction

If approved:

1. Store price is captured for each food item

2. Discounts, coupons are applied

3. If price exceeds Not-to-Exceed, reimbursement amount to grocer for item is reduced to NTE

4. Paid amount is calculated

5. HH account balance is reduced by amounts purchased

6. Receipt showing details of transaction and updated account balance is printed for household.

WIC EBT vs SNAP EBT

Benefit Type

SNAP Cash Value

WICSpecific quantity of specific foods plus Cash Value for F&V

Eligible Foods

SNAP Any food exempt from sales tax

WIC Specific foods/brands identified by UPC/PLU

WIC EBT vs SNAP EBT

Pricing

SNAP No price limitations

WICState required to set maximum allowable price for each food item

WIC EBT vs SNAP EBT

In the Lane

SNAP Major ECR systems already programmed to recognize SNAP-eligible items.

WIC • Requires grocers to maintain database of eligible foods and a scanner system to automatically check purchases in real time for eligibility.

• If “look-up” function is not integrated into ECR, requires separate scanning to look-up items and charge to WIC account.

WIC EBT vs SNAP EBT

EBT History

1984 - USDA SNAP Pilot (Reading, PA)

1993 - First statewide SNAP EBT project (Maryland)

2002 – First statewide WIC EBT system (Wyoming)

2004 – SNAP EBT nationwide all 50 states, DC, Guam, US VI, and Puerto Rico

2004-2009 – Texas, Nevada, New Mexico rollout smartcard WIC EBT systems

2009 – Michigan, first statewide online WIC EBT system

2010 – KY begins rollout of second WIC EBT online system

2020 – Congressional mandate for nationwide WIC EBT

Timeline for MIS and EBT

Currently Procurement of contractors

2/2014 – 5/2014 Design process

6/2014 – 5/2015 System development & testing

5/2015 – 9/2015 System Pilot

9/2015 – 3/2016 Statewide roll-out

Staff Roles in the Project

Opportunities for staff participation

1. Expert knowledge in design phase

2. Feedback & testing in development phase

3. Preparing families for change

4. Early adopters for pilot

Any Questions?