Bill Overview
Title: WIC Healthy Beginnings Act of 2022
Description: WIC Healthy Beginnings Act of 202 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to maintain a publicly available, searchable database that contains solicitations for infant formula bids under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Under current law, state agencies must control infant formula costs in the WIC program through competitive bidding for infant formula rebate contracts. The bill requires state WIC agencies to provide USDA with open solicitations for these competitive bids to populate the database.
Sponsors: Rep. McBath, Lucy [D-GA-6]
Target Audience
Population: People benefiting from the WIC program
Estimated Size: 6300000
- The bill affects the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
- WIC provides nutritional support to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women.
- WIC also supports infants and children up to age 5 who are found to be at nutritional risk.
- This program operates in the United States, thus impacting people residing within the U.S. boundaries.
- The bill concerns the administration of infant formula bids, which could influence the availability and pricing of formula for WIC recipients.
Reasoning
- The bill focuses on improving the transparency and competitiveness of infant formula pricing in the WIC program, potentially reducing costs for families who rely on this subsidy.
- The target population is primarily low-income women, infants, and children who are eligible for WIC. As of 2021, approximately 6.3 million people were enrolled in WIC, which represents our direct target group.
- The budget restriction implies that the policy will prioritize cost-efficiency and transparency to maximize the benefits within the set financial limits.
- Not all participants might perceive the impact directly in everyday life; some might notice changes over a more extended period, depending on personal circumstances.
- Analyzing individuals can provide insights on varying impacts across urban and rural settings, different income brackets within the eligible population, and those indirectly affected by the policy changes.
Simulated Interviews
Stay-at-home mother (Detroit, MI)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope the policy makes formula more affordable and easier to find, especially with rising costs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Warehouse Worker (Houston, TX)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Anything that helps my kids eat better is good. I already spend too much on groceries.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Part-time retail employee (Rural Pennsylvania)
Age: 22 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've heard it's tough to buy formula in the city, maybe things will change.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Service technician (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I support anything that helps save money on our family budget.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Nurse (Miami, FL)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Making formula more affordable will directly affect many of my patients.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Nutritionist (New York, NY)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to better resources will help families in need, which I believe strongly in.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Community worker (Chicago, IL)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This will make a real difference in our community, at least with baby formula access.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Small business owner (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 31 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I see this as part of a broader plan to improve community health.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Technical Writer (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 27 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this helps me get a better start for my baby.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Policy Analyst (Seattle, WA)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Improving transparency in WIC can set a model for other programs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $3000000 (Low: $2500000, High: $3500000)
Year 2: $1000000 (Low: $800000, High: $1200000)
Year 3: $750000 (Low: $500000, High: $1000000)
Year 5: $500000 (Low: $300000, High: $700000)
Year 10: $300000 (Low: $200000, High: $400000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The effectiveness of the database in improving competitive bidding processes for infant formula.
- Potential administrative burdens on state WIC agencies to regularly update and maintain accurate data.
- Any legal or privacy concerns related to the visibility of bidding information.
- Long-term integration with USDA's existing IT infrastructure.