Unanticipated Effects of Electronic Benefits Transfer on WIC Stores and Redemptions: Evidence From Administrative Data on Vendors
Journal of Policy Analysis and Management · 2026 · Charlotte E. Ambrozek、Timothy K.M. Beatty、Marianne Bitler、Xinzhe Cheng、Matthew P. Rabbitt
中文摘要
我们评估了妇女、婴儿与儿童特殊补充营养计划(WIC)从纸质券向电子福利转移(EBT)卡的全国性转型,对商店寻求授权以接受WIC福利的决策所产生的影响。我们将来自"The Integrity Profile"的新颖行政数据(美国农业部关于参与WIC的商店及其WIC报销款的数据)与关于WIC EBT实施情况的新全国性政策数据相结合。采用交错(分批)处理的双重差分方法,我们发现这一转型在各州之间产生了异质的、且有时未预期的影响。WIC EBT实施后,获得WIC授权的独立商户数量下降了10%。在商户数量足以支持数据共享的部分邮政编码区,我们未发现WIC EBT实施对WIC福利兑付有显著影响。在较早采用WIC EBT的州,商户获得WIC授权的概率受到更大的负面影响,这可能是由于学习效应或技术随时间的改进所致。州政府聘请协助实施WIC EBT处理的金融服务提供商("处理商")过往的EBT实施经验,会缩小EBT实施对商店参与WIC的负面效应的幅度。
Abstract
ABSTRACT We evaluate the effects of the nationwide transition in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) from paper vouchers to Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards on store decisions to seek authorization to accept WIC benefits. We combine novel administrative data from “The Integrity Profile” (USDA administrative data on stores participating in WIC and their WIC reimbursements) with new nationwide policy data on WIC EBT implementation. Using a staggered adoption difference‐in‐differences approach, we find that the transition had heterogeneous and occasionally unanticipated effects across states. The number of WIC‐authorized independent vendors declined 10% following WIC EBT implementation. We find no significant effect of WIC EBT implementation on WIC redemptions in a subset of ZIP codes with sufficient vendors for data sharing. Vendors in states that were early adopters of WIC EBT have more negative effects on the probability of WIC authorization, which may be due to learning effects or improvements in technology over time. Past experience with EBT implementation by financial services providers hired by states to help them implement WIC EBT processing (processors) reduces the magnitude of these negative effects of EBT implementation on store participation in WIC.