# Presentation: 577814

## NWA Technology Conference
Atlanta, Georgia
November 2007

- NWA Technology Conference
- Atlanta, Georgia
- November 2007

## approach to today’s discussion

- preparing your vendors for EBT
- preparing your MIS system for EBT
- EBT feasibility study

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## preparing your vendors for EBT

- timing
- start long before you ever anticipate moving to EBT
- address where you are and where other states are at every opportunity – keep vendors in the loop

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## preparing your vendors for EBT

- what to cover
- educate vendors on what EBT is and how it differs from food stamps EBT
- explain why WIC EBT is a more complex animal than other EBT applications
- explain the EBT process and equipment needs for each EBT scenario
- explain pros and cons of each method

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## preparing your vendors for EBT

- how to cover
- use vendor advisory work groups
- try to involve all types of vendors
- use retail store trainings and forums to educate stores on EBT
- use mailings to stores if necessary

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## preparing your vendors for EBT

- what you need to know from your vendors
- survey vendors on type of front end system and it’s capabilities
- determine vendor’s equipment replacement cycle

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## LISTEN

- what is most important???
*LISTEN*
- get the feedback and opinions of your vendors...  if you don’t get their buy in, your system faces a huge uphill battle!!

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## EBT Readiness

- What is EBT Readiness?
- Evaluation of your system against the following;
- USDA FNS Functional Requirements Document (FReD-E) and,
- the draft USDA FNS EBT Ready Document published in April 2006

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## EBT Readiness

- system requirements
- establish and maintain state WIC food category and subcategory
- assign food packages by category/subcategory codes
- maintain UPC code for each item authorized
- ability to view participants monthly prescription by food category/subcategory

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## EBT Readiness

- system requirements
- produce/process reports of benefit issuance, history of food prescription changes, history of electronic benefit authorizations (EBA)
- view at clinic current EBA balance and future month balances
- ability to print at clinic current and future EBA balances

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## EBT Readiness

- system requirements
- set up card account and assign EBT card to family
- ability to deactivate card
- ability to replace card for family
- ability to change PIN

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## EBT Readiness

- system requirements
- if state elects, ability to reuse/reassign card to another family
- ability to reinstate card reported lost, if found
- ability to search system to read and access EBA member and benefits displays

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## EBT Readiness

- system requirements
- ability to aggregate food benefits for entire household
- ability to assign the individual participant benefits to the family EBA
- ability to void/reissue benefits

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## Hang in there...

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

**Hang in there...**
**We’re halfway through system requirements!**

## EBT Readiness

- system requirements
- ability to transfer an individuals benefits from one family to another (both EBT)
- if not statewide EBT, ability to transfer member or entire family to EBT from paper system or from EBT to paper system
- ability to remove a participant from an EBT family

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## EBT Readiness

- system requirements
- ability to produce reports to show food usage and purchase patterns for nutrition education counseling
- ability to determine or assign maximum prices for each food item by peer group
- ability to determine or assign maximum prices for food categories/subcategories for settlement
- produce reports on foods purchased

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## EBT Readiness

- system requirements
- ability to produce financial management reports for EBT
- ability to produce rebate reports from EBT
- ability to produce enrollment and caseload management reports from EBT

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## EBT Readiness

- system requirements
- ability to produce vendor management reports
- capture vendor prices by item
- identify specific products purchased
- fraud detection methods (transactions outside store hours, high number of PIN attempts, etc.)
- provide compliance buy capability

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## EBT Readiness

- system requirements
- document EBT training and card issuance status
- if applicable, ability to enable/disable EBT card issuance by sites or even to individual participants

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## EBT Readiness

- system requirements
- produce system administration reports reflecting EBT activity
- track EBT card stock
- document participant abuse related to EBT

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## Pennsylvania’s EBT Feasibility Study

- conducted December 2006 – August 2007
- detailed questionnaire and site visits to states that conducted pilots or are in the process of implementing EBT
- observed clinic, store and participant EBT procedures

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## Pennsylvania’s EBT Feasibility Study

- off line states reviewed

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

**Wyoming**

**New Mexico**

**Texas**

**April 2007**

**December 2006**

**December 2006**

## Pennsylvania 

**DPW**

- Pennsylvania’s EBT Feasibility Study
- on line states reviewed

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

**Michigan**

**Kentucky**

**Washington**

**January 2007**

**March 2007**

**April 2007**

**August2007**

## Pennsylvania’s EBT Feasibility Study

- conclusions
- the least expensive EBT model is at least twice as expensive as our current paper model
- no existing EBT system is an ideal fit for Pennsylvania. There are positives and negatives with each state’s system
- FNS funding is not assured for continuing EBT operations
- partnering with DPW is non-beneficial for WIC

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness

## Pennsylvania’s EBT Feasibility Study

- recommendations
- expand current electronic vendor data collection systems to offer electronic payment options
- incrementally build necessary EBT infrastructure
- work closely with the retailer community to consider their preferences and influence their EBT direction to the extent possible
- monitor other states EBT progress
- keep abreast of emerging technologies (wireless communications, biometrics, etc.)

- The Next Five Years
- EBT Readiness