Recent Trends and Economic Issues in the WIC Infant Formula Rebate Program
By Victor Oliveira and David Davis
Economic Research Report No. (ERR-22) 44 pp,
August 2006
Over half of all infant formula sold in the United States is purchased through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Typically, WIC State agencies obtain substantial discounts in the form of rebates from infant formula manufacturers for each can of formula purchased through the program. This analysis suggests that retail markup accounts for most of the cost to WIC of infant formula in most States. However, both it and net wholesale price have increased
over time. The recent increase in these components coincides with the introduction of higher priced
supplemented infant formulas. Conditions may change after the market adjusts to these new formulas.
Keywords: WIC, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, infant formula, rebates, net wholesale price, retail markup, wholesale price, ERS, USDA
In this report ... Chapters are
in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.
- Abstract, Acknowledgments, and Contents, 80 kb.
- Summary, 40 kb.
- Introduction, 191 kb.
- Overview of the WIC Program, 168 kb.
- The Infant Formula Market, 69 kb.
- WIC’s Infant Formula Rebate Program, 194 kb.
- Trends in Bidding for Rebate Contracts, 255 kb.
- Trends in Net Wholesale Price, 97 kb.
- Retail Markup, 43 kb.
- Conclusions, 43 kb.
- References, 43 kb.
Updated date: August 29, 2006
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