Mark Davis Missouri WIC Customer Service Manager (MIS/EBT) 2012 Missouri WIC Conference.
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WIC Electronic Benefits (EBT) Update
Mark Davis
Missouri WIC Customer Service Manager
(MIS/EBT)
2012 Missouri WIC Conference
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Objectives for Session
After session you will have understanding of: WIC EBT definition WIC EBT background EBT basics Online and smart card Missouri decision Implications for local agencies and participants Implications for WIC-authorized vendors Next steps Questions
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WIC EBT Definition
WIC Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) is an electronic method of providing WIC food benefits to participants
An EBT card (similar to debit or credit card) is issued to the household, instead of issuing WIC checks to each participant
Local agencies will still use MOWINS; changes will be made to the benefits issuance component
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WIC EBT Background
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WIC EBT Background (cont.)
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WIC EBT Background (cont.)
Missouri planning activities Planning contractor, 2010-2012
Learned as much as possible about EBT Visited other WIC states already doing EBT Meetings and survey with WIC-authorized vendors Meetings and survey with local agencies Attended EBT user group and other meetings
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EBT Basics
One card for entire household- benefits are aggregated for household
Cardholder uses PIN instead of signing checks Can redeem WIC foods anytime during the
benefit period- no constraint of individual checks No change to issuance periods, e.g. tri-monthly,
bi-monthly, etc Cardholder receives print out of available foods
at cert/recert and with every purchase
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EBT Basics (cont.)
At WIC authorized vendor- EBT system determines if food is WIC-approved
Vendor staff are no longer the food police Every WIC food has a UPC or PLU that is in our
Approved Product List (APL) Vendor receives APL electronically and EBT
system compares the UPC of food against the APL
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EBT Basics (cont.)
State must make two major decisions Online or smart card
Online, magnetic stripe Smart card, offline
EBT host- Outsource or in-house
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Online (Magnetic Stripe)
EBT card is similar to debit or credit card User “swipes” the card Real time transactions to EBT host Vendor must have telecommunication line to
connect to EBT host for each transaction In most cases, vendor pays transaction fee State must have a plan for when
telecommunication line is down
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Smart Card (Offline)
Similar to debit or credit card, except that it has a computer chip embedded
User inserts the card and leaves it until prompted to remove it- does not “swipe” it
The food benefits are stored on the card- the card is the database of record
No telecommunication line is needed at time of purchase
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Missouri Decision
We decided to use the Smart Card and outsource EBT hosting We decided this after much discussion and doing the activities
noted in slide # 6
Main reasons Cost of online would be more, especially for full service
Automatic Voice Response (AVR) for pin changes and benefit updates
U.S. banking industry appears to be moving to smart card, as the rest of world has done
Procedure of participants contacting agency for issues related to check/card would not change as much with smart card
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Implications for Local Agencies and Participants
MOWINS will be changed to issue smart card instead of checks Relatively minor change to system for users
Local agencies will receive training, may be able to do it by webinar
Cardholder will go to local agency to have PIN assigned initially and when they want to change PIN
Cardholder will go to card reader at agency or vendor if they have lost their latest food print out
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Implications for Local Agencies and Participants (cont.)
New equipment Smart card reader- USB, small and light No power cord; there is a driver to install
Used to put participant information on card Load benefits on card instead of printing checks
Participant uses it to assign PIN
No MICR printers for checks Local agency will need a printer to print the food list
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Implications for Local Agencies and Participants (cont.)
Participants will need to be trained in new procedures DVD from Texas Reinforcement by LWP staff
Surveys from EBT states show participants love EBT Much more information available on foods
participants redeem Policy changes
Proxy Lost and stolen wait time- Hot Card List (HCL) May switch from rolling month to calendar month
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Implications for Local Agencies and Participants (cont.)
Smartphone applications Working to have vendor and local agency locations as
a Smartphone app Also want to create an app that shows which foods
are WIC foods May also be able to have WIC appointments and
other information available as Smartphone app QR Code/Reader- can be inserted in publications,
linked to designated web site
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WIC-Authorized Vendor Implications
Time in lane is much faster with EBT Much less chance for cashier error No transaction fees Receive payment from state faster Need smart card reader at all WIC lanes- some
are already doing this Must inform state of UPC, PLU changes Will send claim file daily and receive three files
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Next Steps
Implementation Advance Planning Document Interface- MOWINS and EBT host Funding Hire implementation and quality assurance
contractors- will host EBT Card and folder design DVD for participants Policy changes and vendor participation
agreement changes
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Next Steps (cont.)
Creation of UPC and PLU database Certification of WIC-authorized vendors Training for vendors and local agencies Select pilot and determine implementation plan Timeline- if all goes well- may have pilot in place
as soon as late 2014
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Review
Participants and vendors like EBT (smart card and online) Faster through lane Cashiers are not food police Less stigma for participant
Participant will receive initial food list at local agency and receipt after they go to store
For local agencies, cards are generally faster to issue than checks One card for household (keep same card as long as
they are on WIC) instead of many checks
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Review (cont.)
For local agencies changes include: Use card reader to load benefits- printer used to print
food list Learn changes to MOWINS Changes to policies Instruction to participants on how to use card-
reinforce information in DVD
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Questions
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