WHITE PAPER A CASE FOR ‘SMART’ TECHNOLOGY IN WIC

White Paper – The Case for ‘Smart’ Technology in WIC
WHITE PAPER
A CASE FOR ‘SMART’
TECHNOLOGY IN WIC
The unintended gap in
WIC EBT
A WHITE PAPER BY JPMA, INC.
January 26, 2015
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White Paper – The Case for ‘Smart’ Technology in WIC
WIC EBT Vision (3)
“In line with current trends and the
overall public acceptance and
growing expectation of doing
business and receiving services
electronically, WIC will continue its
initiatives to successfully migrate from
a paper-based food benefit delivery
system to an electronic benefits
transfer system.”
Introduction
The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program
provides nutritional foods and health education
for more than 8 million low income, nutritionally
at risk women and children. In fact, WIC serves
53% of all infants born in the United States! (12)
The WIC program has evolved in many ways
since its pilot debut in 1972, but one technical
advancement stands out above the rest in its
sweeping scope - the transition from a voucherbased
program to an electronic (EBT) one.
The shift to EBT would reduce paperwork,
streamline program monitoring, increase security
and generally improve efficiencies throughout
the WIC program.
But what about the people WIC was developed
to help How has the transition to EBT effected
them What are the objectives of WIC EBT for
the participant and are the objectives being
reached What technologies are utilized (or
underutilized), to help WIC achieve participant
objectives and how can private sector
innovation help
Technology is available today that can extend
the resources of the WIC clinic to the WIC
participant wherever and whenever it is needed.
This white paper will examine the participantoriented
objectives defined in the “WIC EBT
Vision Statement” and whether these objectives
are met. If objectives are not being met, how
can investing in existing private sector
technology help meet the objectives and
leverage the State Agency (SA) WIC budgets
A WHITE PAPER BY JPMA, INC.
January 26, 2015
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White Paper – The Case for ‘Smart’ Technology in WIC
EBT’S UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE
Participant Objectives
What are some of the stated
objectives specifically relating
to the WIC participant
1. Enhance client services by
improving access to prescribed WIC
foods and simplifying the retail
point-of-sale transaction to reduce
stigma and improve shopping
convenience. (3)
2. Convenient, easy and quick
transaction (3)
3. Discreet and confidential checkout
(3)
4. Maximize redemption
Are Objectives Met
Yes and no. Many who are close to this
issue would argue that as EBT simplified the
transaction for the Vendor, much
uncertainty has been introduced to the
participant’s shopping experience.
Feedback from WIC participants (13)
points out that EBT has increased both the
frequency of checkout disputes and of
merchandise abandoned at checkout.
By enforcing precision at the Point of Sale,
any ‘gray areas’ are eliminated.
That is intentional and is a good thing for
the WIC program – but for the participant,
strict enforcement of WIC EBT policies can
cause stigma, can be inconvenient
and it is often neither discreet nor
confidential.
“Due to the restrictive nature of WIC benefit issuance, a WIC EBT
transaction is often considered one of the most complex
transactions at the retail POS”.
~FNS (4)
A WHITE PAPER BY JPMA, INC.
January 26, 2015
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White Paper – The Case for ‘Smart’ Technology in WIC
The cause of uncertainty within WIC EBT
Category and sub-category titles are, of
necessity, abbreviated and lacking detail.
Choosing the right brand and size is
challenging. There may be many dozens of
brands and varieties of baby food
available, but only half or less are WIC
eligible. Adding to the complexity, WIC
food prescriptions vary greatly depending
on the changing situation of the mother and
children. Once in the store, participants are
often uncertain about their remaining
benefits, uncertain of which size, which
brand, how many. Can I buy organic
Frozen veggies
It is not unlike reading a recipe once and
then shopping for the ingredients a month
later. For most of us, that is impossible.
The EBT implementation plan requires that the
POS system print a participant’s remaining
balance at the end of the transaction. This
may cover base necessity, but is far from a
complete solution. With the average age of
the adult WIC participant being 26 (7), the
concept of holding on to a paper receipt for
retrieval weeks later is foreign.
Even with a receipt, participants still need to
know which product are eligible to them.
Such concerns are discussed in depth in both
the SumaOrchard study of 2011 (13) and the
Altarum Institute study of 2012. (14) Reviews by
WIC Participants of the WIC EBTShopper
mobile app also explain (often in colorful
ways) that paper receipts are not a solution
that works for them.
“My confidence in understanding what I could get was really low. I didn’t go shopping
for the first two months because I did not know how to.” (13)
WIC Participant
The Situation for Retailers
Suffice to say that a problem for a customer is a
problem for the retailer. Quick, convenient,
discreet transactions – these are all objectives
shared by the retailer. However, the efficiencies
introduced by EBT payments are often offset by
the complexity of the transaction. Mistakes by
WIC participant are costly and time consuming.
Ineligible WIC merchandise left at the
counter mean lost sales, an upset
customer and longer lines (more upset
customers).
“We hire new cashiers all the time.
Training them [on WIC transactions] is a
never ending thing.” ~ Store Manager
A WHITE PAPER BY JPMA, INC.
January 26, 2015
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White Paper – The Case for ‘Smart’ Technology in WIC
So, what is the answer
The answer is to empower the WIC participant with
certainty. The vehicle and applications exist today
to bring the education, advice and support of the
WIC clinic to the participant where they are, when
they need it – weeks or months before their next
clinic appointment.
The vehicle is the smartphone and applications
designed for WIC like those from JPMA are the
mechanism. The uncertainty generated by EBT can
be transformed into certainty and confidence simply
by providing participants with the tools they need to
know what they can purchase in the grocery store.
Empower and Educate
By investing in smart technology, WIC seizes the
opportunity to empower participants and engage them
further in the education and health initiatives of the WIC
program.
It’s more than a phone.
It’s a lifeline.
For low income families and
people in the 19-29 age
group, their smartphone is
often the only way they
access the internet. For
many, it is their primary
method to access
information about their
health, nutrition information
and news. (9)
The right mobile applications don’t just help to meet
failing objectives. The right apps are the mechanism to
leverage the State Agency’s budget by extending clinic
resources to the participant’s mobile device. Leveraging
existing mobile applications allow WIC authorities to
accomplish more within the confines of existing budget
resources. The versatility of mobile apps enables SAs to
provide nutritional education, real-time access to
prescriptions, peer-to-peer networking, counseling and
other communication from clinics.
Young moms from lower socioeconomic backgrounds
benefit greatly from the resources provided by WIC and
smart devices are the vehicle of choice for Millennial
Moms.
A WHITE PAPER BY JPMA, INC.
January 26, 2015
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White Paper – The Case for ‘Smart’ Technology in WIC
Consider the role ‘smart’ technology could play in truly
meeting the outcomes desired by FNS & the WIC program
True and observable solutions for WIC participants:
Improved shopping experience.
Discreet & confidential shopping – without stigma
Ability to purchase full food benefits
Simplifying the POS transaction
Increased time for nutritional education
Improve targeted nutrition education based on redemption patterns
Accurate listing of remaining benefits prior to, during and after
shopping
Leverage – Doing more with less
For WIC Participants, one ‘smart’ feature stands above all – having their current
Food Instrument balance with them when they shop.
According to WIC participants who use our EBTShopper application, they use
the app to retrieve their prescription each and every time they shop.
By building on technology that provides
this essential service, WIC agencies have
the opportunity to deliver other core WIC
initiatives to participants multiple times
each month. Having this exposure to
participants compounds the opportunities
for WIC to have a positive impact on their
lives.
Sponsoring smart technology enables
State Agencies to leverage their funding
and maximize the services provided to
WIC participants during their time in the
program.
A WHITE PAPER BY JPMA, INC.
January 26, 2015
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White Paper – The Case for ‘Smart’ Technology in WIC
Procure it or build it
Smart technology has the power to transform
social programs. Unfortunately, social
programs and technology are often in
disparate worlds. Social programs exist to
help people. Technology companies
innovate. And technology companies with a
focus on social good can (and do) create
innovative solutions for the WIC program.
It’s not that the public sector lacks vision; it’s
that the road from need assessment to
implementation is long and winding for the
public sector.
Technology companies working with the
WIC program have already identified the
needs and built innovative solutions to fulfil
the WIC EBT vision objectives.
State Agencies should be encouraged by
FNS to acknowledge the gaps separating
their implementation of EBT from the
objectives that FNS defined for the WIC
participant. State Agencies should be
encouraged to utilize solutions from the
private sector. EBT implementation plans
should include procurement of solutions
that address the areas where the EBT
‘Vision’ objectives have fallen short.
A WHITE PAPER BY JPMA, INC.
January 26, 2015
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White Paper – The Case for ‘Smart’ Technology in WIC
Smartphones and WIC Participants
45%
18-29 year olds who use
the internet on their cell
phones do most of their
online browsing on their
mobile device. (10)
To be eligible for WIC on the basis of income, an applicant's gross
income must fall at or below 185 percent of the U.S. Poverty Income
Guidelines (11). It is not an uncommon opinion in the U.S. that people
on public assistance don’t (or shouldn’t) own smartphones. This
opinion has certainly been expressed on the WIC EBTShopper social
media sites. Regardless of one’s personal feelings on the matter, the
facts are that most young people, regardless of income level are very
likely to be smartphone owners. (8)
77%
18-29 year-olds earning
less than $30,000
annually own
smartphones. And this
study is dated… What is
the percentage now
What about two years
from now
Not only do low-income families use
mobile devices, they are far more likely
to rely on them as their primary source to
access the internet (9). This trend will
continue as ever expanding screen sizes
make ‘traditional’ computing obsolete.
As the cost of smartphones and data
plans drop, ‘smart’ mobile devices are
increasingly becoming the most
effective way to communicate with
low-income families.
A WHITE PAPER BY JPMA, INC.
January 26, 2015
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White Paper – The Case for ‘Smart’ Technology in WIC
How is it funded
Monetization is probably the biggest
barrier limiting technology companies
from developing applications for low
socio-economic communities. There is
a strong demand for health-related
applications, but making these
accessible to low-income
communities is a challenge.
Technology companies that develop
innovative solutions for “social good”
need to prepare for an uphill battle to
fund their efforts. FNS grants
substantial funding to state agencies
for developing, implementing,
evaluating and expanding EBT
systems (4). However, many State
Agencies are slow to allocate funding
to achieve the participant oriented
objectives as stated in the “EBT
Vision”.
State Agencies clearly benefit by
increased redemption and happier
participants and retailers, but that
doesn’t mean the state should bear
the entire cost of implementing these
technology tools.
The approach JPMA has taken
to minimize the burden of cost
is to pursue a collaborative
funding among the WIC
stakeholders.
Smart technology is dynamic;
new features must be added
on an ongoing basis. SAs
need to cover a portion of the
cost of such technology.
Vendors should participate as
well. Small vendors are at a
distinct disadvantage to larger
ones. SAs should help to level
the playing field for their
smaller vendors.
By adopting existing smart
technology from private sector
firms state agencies might be
able to implement almost
immediately and for a fraction
of the investment that would
be necessary to design,
develop, implement and
maintain their own solution.
A WHITE PAPER BY JPMA, INC.
January 26, 2015
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White Paper – The Case for ‘Smart’ Technology in WIC
About JPMA
Learn More:
www.EBTShopper.com
www.WICSmart.com
www.JPMA.com
Email JPMA:
EBTShopper@jpma.com
JPMA has been involved with WIC for over 11 years in Point of
Sale, WIC education and training components and participantfacing
mobile applications. Being involved with the participant
from their education in the clinic to checkout at the register has
provided us with a unique perspective of the challenges the WIC
participant faces.
Understanding that there was a gap in the stated objectives of
WIC EBT and the reality of the shopping experience for the WIC
participant led us to develop WIC EBTShopper. EBTShopper loads
the participant’s prescription to their smartphone and displays
which specific products they are eligible for in each category.
Participants have proven that they need this technology – nearly
70,000 families in Florida, Kentucky and West Virginia have
installed and used EBTShopper. Nearly 40,000 families use
EBTShopper hundreds of thousands of time each month. Based
on feedback from WIC participants and State Agencies, we are
adding various education and social elements to EBTShopper.
We subsequently have developed WICSmart, our lesson designer
and smartphone-based WIC nutrition education platform.
WICSmart provides the tools for State Agencies to create or
customize their own education lessons and assign them to
participants to complete anywhere – in the clinic, at home or on
the participant’s mobile device.
A WHITE PAPER BY JPMA, INC.
January 26, 2015
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White Paper – The Case for ‘Smart’ Technology in WIC
Works Cited
1. Oliveira, Victor. The WIC Program Background, Trends and issues. [Online]
2002. http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/327957/fanrr27_1_.pdf.
2. About WIC - How WIC Helps. http://www.fns.usda.gov/. [Online]
http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/about-wic-how-wic-helps.
3. WIC Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) 5-Year Plan.
http://origin.www.fns.usda.gov/. [Online] USDA.
http://origin.www.fns.usda.gov/wic/ebt/WICEBT5-yearPlan-FINAL3-1-06.pdf.
4. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children
(WIC): Implementation of the Electronic Benefit Transfer-Related Provisions of
Public Law 111-296 - Proposed Rule. http://www.fns.usda.gov. [Online] USDA.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/EBT-proposedrule.pdf.
5. Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010. FNS-USDA. [Online]
http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/PL111-296_Summary.pdf.
6. WIC EBT Activity Map. FNS-USDA. [Online]
http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/EBTActivityMap.pdf.
7. Mothers Who Receive WIC Benefits —Fertility and Socioeconomic
Characteristics. http://www.census.gov/. [Online]
http://www.census.gov/sipp/sb95_29.pdf.
8. Smartphone Ownership 2013. http://www.pewinternet.org/. [Online] Pew
Research. http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/06/05/smartphone-ownership-
2013/.
9. Cell Internet Use. http://www.pewinternet.org/. [Online] Pew Internet
Research. http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/06/26/cell-internet-use-2012/.
10. Cell Internet Use 2012. http://www.pewinternet.org. [Online] Pew Internet
Research. http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/06/26/cell-internet-use-2012/.
11. WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines. http://www.fns.usda.gov. [Online] FNS
USDA. http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/wic-income-eligibility-guidelines.
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White Paper – The Case for ‘Smart’ Technology in WIC
12. WIC at a Glance. http://www.fns.usda.gov/. [Online]
http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/about-wic-wic-glance.
13. Suma/Orchard - Susan Poag, MS and Melanie Susswein, MSW.
Suma/Orchard- WIC Benefit Redemption - What's going on [Online] 2011.
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/6869753/wic-benefit-redemptionwhats-going-on-texas-wic/3.
14. Altarum. Transition to EBT in WIC:. Altarum.org. [Online] Altarum.
http://altarum.org/sites/default/files/uploaded-publicationfiles/Altarum_Transition%20to%20WIC%20EBT_Final%20Report_071614.pdf.
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