Your Guide to Benefits and Services

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Welcome to WIC

Your Guide to

Benets and Services

WIC Authorized Foods List

Eective October 2018

healthy



Maryland WIC

Guide to a

I am

21/2

Welcome to the Maryland Women, Infants and

Children (WIC) program! We hope you enjoy

everything that WIC has to oer.

Our goal is to help you and your family eat better,

grow better and make your experience with WIC

the best that it can be.

WIC gives more than just food. We give tips on

shopping, cooking and eating well, and connect

you with other health and wellness services.

Please let us know if you have a question or

if there is something we can help you with.

Again, welcome to the program!

Your Friends at WIC

How Long Am I Eligible For WIC?

WIC eligibility is dierent for women than it is for children.

Women are eligible:

• Your entire pregnancy and up to 6 weeks after pregnancy.

• Up to one year after your baby’s birth if you breastfeed.

• Up to 6 months after your baby’s birth if you do not breastfeed.

Children are eligible:

• From birth, up to age 5.

You and your child will need to re-apply for WIC about once a year,

and after you have your baby. When you re-apply you will need to

bring proof of income, proof of residency, and, if pregnant, proof

of pregnancy. Sta will let you know when you need to bring

these items with you.

Your Health Is Important

WIC sta will ask about your

health and eating habits, measure

your weight, and check your iron

level. By talking with WIC sta, you

can learn where to get care while

you are pregnant, information

for other food resources, or shots

(immunizations) for your child.

You can also get breastfeeding

support and other tips to improve

the health of you and your baby.

Be sure to ask your own questions too.

Your WIC Appointments

You will need to return to WIC about every 3 months to get your

benets. Your child will need to come with you about every 6

months to be weighed and measured. Your WIC appointment date

and time is on your Shopping List, your WIC ID Folder (if used by

your local WIC Program), and your appointment reminder notice.

Always bring your identication OR your ID Folder to ALL WIC

appointments.

If you cannot keep an appointment, be sure to call WIC to

reschedule it.

If you pick up your benets late, you may get less food. If you stop

picking up benets, you may be dropped from WIC and will need

to re-apply.

Nutrition is a part of most WIC appointments. That is because WIC’s

goal is to help you and your family enjoy better health through

healthy foods. You may be able to receive your nutrition education

on-line. Your local WIC oce will let you know.

Your Proxy and Your Designee

You can authorize up to

2 people to help you with

your WIC appointments.

At WIC, they can be either

a proxy or a designee:

A proxy can pick up your

WIC benets and shop for

your WIC foods if you are

not able to; a designee

can do all of that plus they

can bring your child in to

appointments to re-apply

for the program when needed. You must give WIC the names of

your proxies or designees. If you want to change your proxy or

designee, you must call WIC to let us know.

Your proxy or designee must follow the same rules as you to pick up

and spend WIC benets. Let them read this booklet. Have them shop

with you. Ask them to bring back information from all WIC visits.

Your designee must be able to answer questions about your

income, your child’s health, medical history, and know what they

eat. This should be someone who can answer these questions

for you.

WIC Food Benets

Each person in your family on WIC will be given healthy foods for

each month they are on the program.

WIC foods are packed with nutrients like:

• Calcium and vitamin D for strong bones

• Iron for healthy blood

• Vitamins to ght illnesses

• Protein to build muscles and organs

WIC foods are also low in sugar and fat.

WIC foods are for you or your child only. They help you get what

you need to stay healthy. You will still need to buy other foods.

WIC foods are meant to add to what you already eat.

When money is tight, it is hard to eat the way you should.

WIC can give you tips to get the most food value for your money.

You can also get ideas for quick and low cost meals and snacks.

If your WIC foods are damaged or destroyed in a re or natural

disaster, let your local WIC oce know. They may be able to

replace them.

calcium &

vitamin D

iron vitamins protein

Your eWIC Account

WIC food benets that are given to your family are loaded to your

eWIC account once a month. Your food benets will be available

for purchase on the same start and end date each month. Your

benets become available on the Benet Start Date at 12:01 a.m.

and end at 11:59 p.m. on the Benet End Date. Benets that have

not been spent DO NOT carry over to the next month.

To access your WIC food benets in your

account, you are given an eWIC card.

Your eWIC Card

Your Maryland eWIC Card is what you

take to the grocery store to purchase your WIC foods.

Before you use your Maryland eWIC card, you must select

a 4-digit Personal Identication Number (PIN.)

• Choose a number that is easy for you to

remember, but hard for others to guess.

• Do not write your PIN on your eWIC card.

• Only share your PIN with your proxy or

your designee.

You can select or change your PIN by calling eWIC Customer

Service at 1-844-309-6097 OR logging on to www.mybnft.com

and entering your 16-digit eWIC card number.

If someone gets your eWIC card and knows your PIN, they could

use your food benets. Those benets will NOT be replaced.

To protect your card:

• Keep your card in a safe place, like your wallet or purse.

• Keep your card clean and out of direct sunlight.

• Keep your card away from magnets and electronics like cell phones.

Only

you and your

proxy/designee

should know

your PIN.

Your WIC Shopping List and WIC Authorized Foods List

Your WIC Shopping List shows all the WIC foods given to your

family. It lists who the foods are for, the amount of each food item,

and the benet start and end dates. The Shopping List may also

include the date of your next WIC appointment. It is printed and

given to you at the end of your WIC appointment.

The WIC Authorized Foods List gives you details of what you

can and cannot buy. Some WIC foods, like cereal, are brand and

size specic. You will nd that information in your Foods List.

Before shopping the rst time, review your Shopping List along

with your Foods List. The more you know about WIC foods, the

easier it is to shop. Take your Shopping List and the WIC Foods List

to the store. If you have a question, ask the store’s customer service

representative or give your local WIC oce a call.

Maryland WIC Mobile App

For smart phone users, the Maryland

WIC Mobile App can be very helpful

to WIC families. You can download the

App, MD WIC, from the Google Play

or iPhone stores. To register, you just

need an active Maryland eWIC Card.

You can view information about

your WIC appointments, WIC oces,

approved store locations, the foods

list and your food benet balance.

While shopping, you can scan a UPC

(Barcode) to see if the food item is

WIC approved and available in your

WIC food balance. You can also

receive alerts for upcoming

appointments and benets about

to expire.

The Maryland WIC Mobile App can help you access other

WIC resources and has links to other services. The app is available

in English and Spanish. Ask WIC sta about this helpful tool.

Use this QR code

to download the

Maryland WIC Mobile

App or visit the

Google Play or

iPhone App store.

How to Shop for WIC Foods

You should have a list of approved WIC vendors

(stores) in your area. You can also use the

mobile WIC App to nd a store near you,

whether home or shopping out of your area,

or call your local WIC oce and they can help

you nd one. All approved WIC stores will

display the Maryland eWIC Accepted Here sign in their window.

You can shop for your WIC foods as often as you like. You do not

have to buy all your foods at one time. Take your eWIC Card, your

Shopping List and your Foods List to a WIC approved store.

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Decide what foods on your Shopping List you want to buy.

Look at the dates. You can only buy foods listed between the

food benet Start and End Dates listed on your Shopping List.

2. Use your WIC Foods List to check which foods are allowed or

you can scan the UPC using the Maryland WIC App.

3. Use any checkout lane but not cash only, express, or self-checkout.

Some stores may only take eWIC in one lane, if so, the lane will

be marked with a smaller eWIC Accepted Here sign.

4. At some stores, you can purchase WIC foods and non-WIC foods

in the same transaction. This is called a “mixed basket.” However,

if you nd it helpful, you can separate WIC foods to make your

WIC purchase easier.

5. You may want to let the cashier know you are using WIC.

At some stores you need to slide your eWIC Card before they

ring up your WIC food.

6. Enter your 4-digit PIN when asked. No signature or ID is required.

7. Keep your receipt, it shows your remaining benet balance.

Helpful Tips for Using Your WIC Benets

If you lose or damage your eWIC Card, it can be replaced.

• Call Customer Service at 1-844-309-6097 to request a new card.

• Remember that any benets that expire while waiting for your

new card to arrive cannot be replaced.

• It can take up to 7 business days to get a new card in the mail.

If you do not receive your replacement card within 7 days,

call your local WIC oce.

You have many options for keeping track of the food you have

left in your eWIC account. To check your food balance, you can:

• Use the free Maryland WIC App on your smart phone. You can

access your account from your smart phone and see your

balance while you are shopping.

• Set up an account at www.mybnft.com to check your balance

online.

• Check your most recent store receipt.

• Call Customer Service at 1-844-309-6097. They will read your

balance to you over the phone.

• Ask a cashier or sta member at the customer service desk to

run a “balance inquiry” for you before you start shopping.

• Visit the WIC oce and ask for an updated shopping list.

Remember your PIN. If you enter the

wrong PIN 4 times in a row, your card

will be locked until midnight.

• To re-set or change your PIN, you

can call 1-844-309-6097 or go to

www.mybnft.com.

Helpful Tips (continued)

If you owe money at the end of your WIC transaction, here are

some reasons why that might happen:

• You may be spending more in fruits and vegetables than the

amount that WIC gives you.

• You may not have enough balance left on your account for

the item you are trying to buy.

• You may be trying to buy a WIC food that is not on your

WIC Shopping List.

• A food you are trying to buy is not a WIC approved item.

You can shop

for your WIC foods as

often as you would like

during the month. You

do not have to buy all

of your foods at

one time.

You can use coupons, “buy one get one free,” and store discount

cards for your WIC foods. This saves money for the WIC Program;

no money will be given to you when you use coupons with your

WIC benets. If a retailer oers “buy one get one free,” participants can

take advantage of the extra item using WIC. Some “buy one get one

free” oers may charge half price for each item. This will NOT be WIC

approved. Make sure you read the ne print.

Stores may not carry all brands you see on the Foods List. You

can ask the store to carry the brand you want or shop at another store.

Stores cannot give you a rain check or credit for any food or

formula not in stock.

Stores cannot let you purchase a food that is not WIC approved.

If you think a food you tried to buy should be WIC approved, please

call your local WIC oce with the information below:

• The UPC (barcode) from the item. Please give the WIC sta

member all of the numbers, even the ones right before or right

after the barcode.

• Exact name of the item you tried to buy and the size of

the package.

• You can also submit this information using the Maryland WIC App.

If you need to dispute a transaction you may:

• Call Customer Service at 1-844-309-6097.

• Go to www.mybnft.com.

• Remember that you can only dispute transactions for the current

month. You are not able to dispute transactions for benets that

have expired.

Your Rights and Your Responsibilities

When you applied for WIC, you signed conrming that you were

given the opportunity to read, or have read to you, your Rights

and Responsibilities. Federal law requires that we share that

information with you. A copy was given to you when you applied.

Take a few minutes to read your rights, and your responsibilities

again. It is important for you to know what your rights are. You have

the right to be treated fairly, with common courtesy, and receive

the information you need. You also have the responsibility to follow

program rules. If you do not follow the rules, you may be removed

from the program, owe us money, or face criminal charges, and we

do not want to see that happen.

If you need help:

• For questions about your eWIC Card, call Customer Service at

1-844-309-6097 or log on to www.mybnft.com.

• For questions about your WIC food benets, or if you move or

change your address, please contact your local WIC oce.

• For other information about the Maryland WIC Program, call

1-800-242-4942 or visit the website at www.mdwic.org.

Other Programs You May Qualify For

As a WIC participant you may also be eligible for other programs

that help with things like food, medical care, alcohol, drug or

mental health crisis services, electric and other utility bills, and

school readiness. Use the contact information listed below or

ask WIC sta if you need help nding assistance in your area.

• Maryland Food Supplement Program (SNAP), Temporary Cash

Assistance (TCA) or Energy Assistance call 1-800-332-6347

or visit myDHRbenets.dhr.state.md.us;

• Maryland Medical Assistance call 1-855-642-8572 or visit

www.marylandhealthconnection.gov;

• Head Start or Early Head Start call 1-866-763-6481 to nd a

location near you;

• Maryland Crisis Hotline call 1-800-422-0009.

Moving?

Please let your local WIC oce know if you are moving. If you stay

in Maryland, you can ask to transfer to another WIC oce. If you

move out of state, ask for a VOC (Verication of Certication) form

to take to another WIC Program. You can only be in one WIC

Program at a time.

We Would Like to Hear From You

We work hard to make your experience with WIC the best that it

can be. If you have an idea of how we can make it better, or a story

to share of how WIC helped you, please let us know.

If you have a complaint about a vendor or cashier, or your clinic

visit, we would like to know that too.

You have many ways to contact us. You can:

• Call your local WIC Oce

• Call the State WIC Oce at 1-800-242-4WIC

• Visit the Contact WIC page on our website: www.mdwic.org

• Email us at mdh.wic@maryland.gov

Thank you

for allowing us

to be a part of

your family’s

future.

C-04/0119

1-800-242-4942 | www.mdwic.org

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, oces, and employees,

and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from

discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or

retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded

by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program

information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should

contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benets. Individuals who

are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the

Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be

made available in languages other than English.

To le a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program

Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/

complaint_ling_cust.html, and at any USDA oce, or write a letter addressed to

USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request

a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or

letter to USDA by:

(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Oce of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) email: prog[email protected].

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.