Winter 2022 Quarterly Vendor Call Minutes

February 15, 2022

WIC Vendor Unit Updates

Illinois Administrative Code

  • Notice was sent to vendors by email on 02/02/2022.
  • Changes went into effect on 01/21/2022.
  • These updates reflect eWIC processing changes from the paper processing rules that existed previously.
  • This change amends the Appendix A of all WIC Vendor Contracts.

Annual Vendor Trainings

  • Will be web based
  • Currently working to set trainings up so it will be able to be completed on-demand at a time and date that is convenient for the vendor.
  • Will be available by mid-April and instructions will be communicated via email to the store email address on file for each location.
  • At least one person from each store must complete and pass the quiz at the end with at least 80% score for store to get credit for completing the annual training requirement.
  • If you are a corporate entity and know that your stores have firewalls setup that would prevent someone from completing a web-based training on an external website, please notify IL WIC Vendor Unit to make arrangements, by emailing us at DHS.WICVendor@illinois.gov.
  • Each store location must complete the annual training for reauthorization.
  • There is no limit to how many people complete the training for each location, however, at least one person must complete the training.

Contract Reauthorizations

  • Will only be issued once annual training requirement has been met.
  • This is a contract renewal year, therefore only requirements are that vendors are in good standing from a compliance perspective and have completed the annual training requirement.
  • Any stores that do not complete the annual training by the end of June 2022 risk losing authorization as a WIC Vendor effective 10/01/22

Authorized Food List

  • Is being updated and published in February 2022.
  • Updated Authorized Food List will be shared to all vendors within the next couple of weeks by email. This email will be sent to all contact email addresses on file for each store.
  • Any changes will be highlighted in annual training
  • Current Authorized Food List can be downloaded from the WIC Vendor Website at any time.
  • Encourage a copy of the Food List to be at all WIC enabled cash registers for cashiers to reference when items are not WIC approved

Supply Chain Issues

* If your store is aware of supply chain issues of any WIC items, but especially items that are required for minimum stock notify the IL WIC Vendor Unit immediately and provide information about when the issue is anticipated to resolve.

Communications

  • Any changes in contact information, store ownership, store status (sold, closed, major changes in hours) should be communicated to IL WIC Vendor Unit immediately.
  • Failure to provide us with an accurate email address for the store may result in missing important communications from IL WIC.
  • Please check emails regularly
    • Failure to read an email or receive an email does not change the date a notice goes into effect, and if you fail to respond to communications as appropriate, you may risk jeopardizing authorization.

Q & A

Open for questions from vendors on call

  • Are participants not able to purchase WIC foods from pharmacy stores? Only Formula purchases are going through at my pharmacy store location.

    • Pharmacy vendors are authorized to sell WIC Infant Formula and WIC Medical Nutritionals only. This means that participants should not be able to purchase food items with WIC benefits from a pharmacy vendor in Illinois.

  • When does WIC annual training start?

    • Annual Trainings are anticipated to start in mid-April. Instructions on how to complete the annual training requirement will be sent out to all vendors in early April 2022.

  • Is there a way to determine the loss per day of sales that exceeded the NTE?

    • For integrated vendors, we recommend that you work with your POS provider to request a report that can provide you with information of sales that exceeded the NTE price of items.

  • Is there a reason Borden milk is not WIC approved?

    • Borden Milk is currently on the WIC APL. If it is not going through as approved at your store, we recommend that you verify that the UPC code is on the APL by looking up the current APL on our WIC Vendor Website (www.dhs.state.il.us/wicvendor) and if it is not, you may complete a UPC Submission request and our nutrition team will review and determine if the item is WIC Eligible and should be added to the APL.

  • Can participants purchase PediaSure from any store or only in a pharmacy?

    • If a grocery store stocks a PediaSure product that is prescribed to a participant for medical and nutritional needs, then the participant may purchase that item from the store. Grocery vendors, however, are not required to supply specialty formula and medical nutritional items, so it will never be required for a grocer to procure that item. Pharmacy vendors are required to be able to order all WIC Specialty Formulas and Medical Nutritionals for participants upon request.

  • Why is an 8.9oz box of Cheerios not scanning?

    • Cereal boxes that are smaller than 12oz are not WIC eligible, and therefore are not on the APL.

  • How will stores receiving training?

    • Training will be provided in a web format. You will be watching a narrated video online and then completing a quiz at the end to document proof of completion of the video. Instructions and further details will be sent out in early April as to how to complete the annual training requirement.

  • Will corporate receive notification if store fails? Will they be able to verify if their stores have passed annual training requirements?

    • We will be able to communicate with corporate, so they are aware of who has completed annual training requirements and who has not. Participants will be notified if they have passed the quiz and completed the training requirement at the end of the quiz or if they will need to take the quiz again to meet the training requirement. You will have an unlimited number of times to take the quiz to pass it.

  • Can we send out links for all stores to corporate so they can disperse annual training emails to each store and then provide us with a report of completion?

    • We will work with corporate vendors to determine the best means of sharing the annual training information and documenting who has completed the training requirement. Please contact us at dhs.wicvendor@illinois.gov if you think that your store will need a special arrangement to meet this requirement.

  • Sometimes we receive a message "not in pre-auth mode" when participant scans card and cannot retrieve a beginning balance inquiry using integrated POS. Why is this and what should we do?

    • This does not sound like a message that is sent out from our payment processor. We would recommend working with your POS provider to determine what triggers this message and how to fix it.

  • Does the size of product determine whether or not it is WIC approved?

    • Participants are usually prescribed a specific quantity of a category or sub-category. Sometimes these quantities are in ounces or they are by container. The Beginning Balance Inquiry will show the vendor what the participant is prescribed. For example, participants are either prescribed 48oz or 12oz frozen juices or they are prescribed 64oz juice containers. This means that the juice must match the size that they are prescribed. All whole grains must be 16oz, so 20oz loaves of bread are not WIC eligible. Cereal is prescribed by the number of ounces. Participants will not be able to redeem boxes of cereal that are smaller than 12oz.

  • Do we need to report product price changes to the state?

    • You do not need to report if a price changes on a product. If the shelf price of a product exceeds the NTE amount, then it will be reviewed at the end of the following month, and the NTE may be adjusted for the category in question based on the average peer group redemption price.

  • Do fruit and veggies have a specific code to use when scanning?

    • Yes, you should be entering the PLU for the fresh produce item that matches the IFPS Standards.

  • Stand beside does not allow charges over $4 for infants 6months+, gets an error message if he charges anything over $4.

    • This is the first time that the state has heard about this and we will look into it further. Please provide any documentation that you have to show when this has occurred for us to take back to our IT team.

  • Can PediaSure be sold individually (knows most benefits are typically prescribed for 6 packs but he has been able to get larger packs from other distributors)?

    • Products are prescribed based on the nutritional needs of the participant and USDA nutrition requirements. We cannot usually adjust the package sizes that are WIC eligible for products, but the vendor team will take this back to our nutrition team for review.

  • Will new Authorized Food List show ounces that are allowed for products?

    • The Authorized Food List is currently being published, so no additional changes can be made at this time. We will be reviewing the ounces allowed in the annual training and how to verify what it eligible for a participant based on the WIC Benefit Balance.

  • What do we do if a 16oz whole grain bread is not scanning as WIC eligible?

    • Please complete and send in a UPC Submission request for any item that meets the guidelines of the authorized food list and are not currently on our APL. You can find that UPC Submission form and instructions on our website at www.dhs.state.il.us/wicvendor under eWIC then Authorized Product List and UPC Submission Request.

  • Can WIC cards for individuals be separated? It is hard for stores to determine benefits for each person.

    • WIC EBT cards are issued as one card per household; therefore, participants household will not be receiving one card per participant. The base way to determine what benefits are available for a cardholder is to review the Beginning Balance Inquiry.