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Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Starting yesterday, American Samoa recipients of the federally funded Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program have a new way to shop for WIC approved items — using an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card, instead of the usual paper checks.

The Department of Human and Social Services (DHSS) administers the WIC program locally.

Director, Muavaefa’atasi John Suisala said that with the new eWIC card, shopping will be a lot simpler and easier, and WIC families will be able to better track their monthly food balances.

“We are very proud of this major accomplishment, which is a huge step in the right direction to considerably improve customer service and program integrity,” Muavaefa’atasi said in a news release announcing the new eWIC card.

“We are very excited to be able to offer a new, convenient way for WIC families to shop as eWIC cards allow them to buy approved food items as needed, instead of all at once with paper checks,” he continued.

According to DHSS, the American Samoa WIC (ASWIC) started issuing eWIC cards yesterday, May 2, and will continue through June and July until all clients are converted as current paper checks expire.

As of Tuesday this week, 30 of 36 ASWIC authorized stores have been provided a stand beside Point of Sale (POS) system with a scanner for eWIC transactions. Food items will be scanned using the POS device to identify authorized and unauthorized items when shopping for WIC foods.

Other benefits of eWIC to WIC families include:

•     Family benefits will be loaded on to one eWIC card, eliminating having to manage multiple paper checks,

•     Participants will no longer have to use their benefits (e.g., pick up their food items) all at once,

•     Ability to print receipts showing the balance of their benefits and expiration date at WIC clinics or at authorized WIC stores, and

•     Adjustments for benefits (e.g. percentage for milk) can be made remotely so participants will not have to come back to the clinic.

Samoa News first learned of the eWIC card early last week, and reported on it in the Lali section on April 25th.

There was immediate positive feedback from several WIC recipients who were contacted by Samoa News for comments. They said they were happy to see a “new change” in the program, with one recipient saying that WIC paper checks in her purse end up getting lost or expiring before they are used.

“With the card you have it in the wallet at all times,” said one mother, who works for ASG.

Working mothers who spoke to Samoa News have applauded the changes implemented by DHSS.

One mother voiced frustration on the challenges faced with having paper checks, requiring her to go from store to store, which she said is time consuming.

“This is an excellent upgrade from the paper checks. I've had checks expire — then become useless — because the stores didn't have in stock all the items listed on the checks,"  said one mother who works in the private sector. “The store would tell me to come back another day and when I return, I realize the checks for that month have expired."

According to her, another store would tell her they don't have one of the items listed on the check but she could still buy the items that are in stock.

“The problem is, I don't know whether they still charged the WIC program for the items they didn't have.”

She added that she had an argument with a store cashier because she wanted to buy 12oz cheese but the cashier told her she specifically had to purchase the 16oz size. But the WIC check notes that the purchase can be for 'up to 16 oz or 1lb cheese'.

"And because the store didn't have 16oz cheese at the time, I wasn't able to get cheese.”

She concluded, “As a full time working mom who is exclusively breastfeeding, it was becoming a chore to have to go to several stores to get my WIC. It's frustrating and hopefully the eWIC card will solve the problems I've encountered with the stores.”

Two other mothers shared a similar story of problems they encountered at the stores, while using WIC checks. “I sure hope the WIC card is a vast improvement,” said one of them.

At least one authorized WIC store visited by Samoa News over the weekend confirmed having already installed a POS machine. The store official agrees that the WIC card is a good move and it helps vendors cut down on the extra paper from the checks.

“Everyone is using cards — credit cards, debits cards — why not eWIC cards? We have now joined the rest of the world with modern technology,” the store official said, adding, “how about the ASNAP program? That would be good as well.”

There is no word from DHSS on the ASNAP — or the Food Stamp Program — going e-Card yet.

Funding for the eWIC system was through a $5 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on July 10, 2014 to provide EBT (eWIC) solution for the HANDS (Health And Nutrition Delivery System) Consortium consisting of American Samoa, Arizona, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Navajo Nation.

eWIC was first tested and rolled out in Arizona in 2017 followed by the Navajo Nation and recently in Guam and CNMI before American Samoa.

ASWIC provides services out of four clinics on Tutuila  - Amouli, Utulei, Tafuna and Leone — and two clinics in the Manu’a Islands — Fitiuta and Ofu — serving over 5,500 low-income pregnant women, infants and children under the age of 5.

The ASWIC has been offering participant-centered nutrition education, healthy food, breastfeeding support, high risk counseling for clients with nutritional risk factors (and those who are at risk) and referrals to other service providers since 1996.

Muavaefa’atasi extends his gratitude and appreciation to the USDA for funding this important project for American Samoa and DHSS partners to meet a mandate by federal law — the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 — for all WIC state agencies to convert to EBT by October 2020 and also the Food and Nutrition Service Western Regional Office for their strong support of this project.

He said this wouldn’t be possible without the strong leadership provided by the Arizona WIC Program, the lead partner for the HANDS Consortium, DHSS’ EBT contractor, Custom Data Processing, Inc., and third party processor, Fidelity Information Service (FIS).

He also extends his fa’afetai tele to Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga and Lt. Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga for their continued support of the ASWIC and DHSS as well as the hard work, commitment and dedication to achieving this goal by ASWIC Assistant Director Josie Lutali; EBT, MIS and Social Marketing Manager Nellie Faumuina; Accounts and Vendor Management Manager Saunoa Poto; Clinic Operations Manager Siniva Samoa and the entire ASWIC staff.

More information or questions concerning eWIC can be directed to the eWIC hotline (633-2500) or the ASWIC (633-2610).