Indiana to change infant formula brand for WIC recipients in October

The brand of infant formula that Indiana Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program recipients can get is changing.

The transition from Gerber to Enfamil will begin Oct. 1.

“This change is occurring because our federal regulations require all state WIC agencies to competitively bid an infant formula rebate contract about every four years,” said Laura Chavez, Indiana WIC director.

Chavez said because WIC benefits are distributed on a rolling basis, the transition will happen at slightly different times for recipients across the entire month of October. She said they’ll see the shift happen in their WIC app and on their EBT cards.

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Chavez noted the state is ensuring recipients have access to formula by working with groceries and pharmacies to ensure stock levels of both brands are available during the transition.

“And if, for some reason, they have a challenge, they can call their local WIC office, and they will work with them to ensure that they have access to a formula that they can find,” Chavez said.

Recipients can also visit wic.in.gov for more information.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

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