WIC Food Package

WIC vendor-management regulations require that WIC State agencies establish vendor groups and maximum allowable reimbursement rates (MARR) for each voucher and each vendor peer group. Paper vouchers submitted for reimbursement do not provide information on the foods purchased, only the total reimbursement value. Since WIC State agencies allow a variety of products, brands, and package sizes, the reimbursement value of vouchers that include a combination of foods can reflect differences in the types and prices of the foods purchased by the participant, as well as differences in quantities (e.g., a partially-redeemed voucher). This project will examine the sensitivity of MARRs to different methods of identifying partially-redeemed vouchers.

With tighter budgets, there is interest in better understanding the choices that WIC participants make in selecting their WIC foods and the stores where they shop. For example, within the choices offered, do WIC participants tend to purchase the most expensive item, the least expensive, or an average-price item? Do WIC participants tend to purchase some items at more-expensive stores? How do WIC participants’ choices compare to the choices participants make when using other sources of payment, or to the choices that non- participants make? This study will use WIC Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) redemption data to explore cost variations within and between WIC vendors, and to examine whether WIC participants show greater tendencies to purchase the lower cost, higher cost, or average cost foods within each food category.

Designed as an update to the 2003 Assessment of WIC Cost-Containment Practices, this study will incorporate changes to the WIC program that have occurred since then, including substantial revisions to food packages, expansion of EBT, and improvements in vendor management. The study will provide a census of the various cost-containment practices employed throughout State agencies, examine the impact of at least 6 cost-containment practices on WIC program goals, and ultimately develop at least 4 best practices in food package cost containment measures to be distributed to State agencies.

The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (Section 232) requires a review of the WIC food package at least every ten years to ensure that it conforms to current nutrition science, public health concerns, and cultural eating patterns. This comprehensive scientific review updates and expands upon the 2006 IOM expert report “WIC Food Packages: Time for a Change.” FNS has again asked IOM to conduct a review of the WIC Food Packages. The primary aims of this review are to: 1) Review and assess the nutritional status and food and nutritional needs of the WIC-eligible population; 2) Provide specific, scientifically-based recommendations for the WIC food packages; and 3) Ensure that the recommendations would result in WIC Food Packages that: (a) are consistent with the most recently available edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), (b) address the health and cultural needs of the widely diverse WIC participant population, and (c) can operate efficiently and be effectively administered across the Nation.

The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (Section 232) requires a review of the WIC food package at least every ten years to ensure that it conforms to current nutrition science, public health concerns, and cultural eating patterns. This comprehensive scientific review updates and expands upon the 2006 IOM expert report “WIC Food Packages: Time for a Change.” FNS has again asked IOM to conduct a review of the WIC Food Packages. The primary aims of this review are to: 1) Review and assess the nutritional status and food and nutritional needs of the WIC-eligible population; 2) Provide specific, scientifically-based recommendations for the WIC food packages; and 3) Ensure that the recommendations would result in WIC Food Packages that: (a) are consistent with the most recently available edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), (b) address the health and cultural needs of the widely diverse WIC participant population, and (c) can operate efficiently and be effectively administered across the Nation.

The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (Section 232) requires a review of the WIC food package at least every ten years to ensure that it conforms to current nutrition science, public health concerns, and cultural eating patterns. This comprehensive scientific review updates and expands upon the 2006 IOM expert report “WIC Food Packages: Time for a Change.” FNS has again asked IOM to conduct a review of the WIC Food Packages. The primary aims of this review are to: 1) Review and assess the nutritional status and food and nutritional needs of the WIC-eligible population; 2) Provide specific, scientifically-based recommendations for the WIC food packages; and 3) Ensure that the recommendations would result in WIC Food Packages that: (a) are consistent with the most recently available edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), (b) address the health and cultural needs of the widely diverse WIC participant population, and (c) can operate efficiently and be effectively administered across the Nation.