Vermont WIC MIS/EBT Implementation Readiness Coordinator Network

August 22, 2013

Agenda

• Presentation of graphic options for Ceres

• What is WIC EBT?

• Feedback

– What’s your reaction to EBT

– What are reactions to Ceres?

– Any new questions or concerns?

• Next Month Preview

PlaceholderGraphic representation of Ceres……

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:

– POD and home delivery

– Direct distribution for special formulas

– 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 household 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 APL are identified using nationally standardized UPC and PLU

codes so scanners can recognize WIC eligible foods. Grocers download this list to their electronic cash register (ECR) systems.

• Grocer systems will be set up to:

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

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

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

– 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 Host 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

SNAPAny food exempt from sales tax

WICSpecific foods/brands identified by UPC/PLU

WIC EBT vs SNAP EBT

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.

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

• 2015/2016 – VT pilot and roll-out

• 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?

Reports from the field

– What’s your reaction to EBT?

– What are reactions to Ceres?

– Any new questions or concerns?

Middlebury St J Springfield

St A Bennington Morrisville

WRJ Burlington Barre

Newport Brattleboro Rutland

NEXT MONTH’S AGENDAWhat’s ahead….

September 26, 2013 1:00pm – 1:30pm

• Feedback from the Field on EBT

• Discussion of new Approved Products List with Jackie Charnley

• If you will miss (or have missed) the meeting, please review the meeting If you will miss (or have missed) the meeting, please review the meeting materials and contact us with any questions and suggestionsmaterials and contact us with any questions and suggestions

• http://healthvermont.gov/wic/ReadinessCoordinatorNetwork• Lynne Bortree lynne.bortree@state.vt.us• Jeanne Keller jkeller@keller-fuller.com

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH –

SEPTEMBER 26 – 1:00 PM