August 09, 2011 08:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In Virginia, electronic cards will replace paper vouchers for participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, also known as WIC.“WIC EBT can immediately show results for a state and its citizens.”
Using electronic benefits transfer (EBT) services from ACS, A Xerox Company (NYSE: XRX), the cards– which work much like everyday debit cards– will give people greater access to benefits and give the state a more efficient back-office operation.
Under the paper system, WIC participants had to make large one-time food purchases to cover an entire benefit period. With the secure magnetic stripe cards, families will have the flexibility to buy the food they need in smaller amounts.
Authorized WIC retailers in Virginia will also benefit from faster service in the checkout lane. Transactions will be transmitted to the state in real-time, reimbursing retailers quickly and reducing the chance of errors, noncompliance and fraud.
“This solution will help us increase the level of support we provide our families to ensure they receive the benefits they need, when and where they need them,” said Michael Welch, Ph.D., Virginia WIC director. “And because there will be less paperwork for the state, we are able to focus our assets on helping those who rely on our services.”
ACS was the first service provider to implement a statewide, real-time WIC EBT solution. The first program, in Michigan, helped that state lower WIC processing costs by 27 percent, according to an independent study.
“Our solutions are designed to help government agencies improve service and lower costs,” said Joseph Doherty, executive vice president and chief operating officer, ACS Government Solutions. “WIC EBT can immediately show results for a state and its citizens.”
About Xerox
Xerox Corporation is a $22 billion leading global enterprise for business process and document management. Through its broad portfolio of technology and services, Xerox provides the essential back-office support that clears the way for clients to focus on what they do best: their real business. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., Xerox provides leading-edge document technology, services, software and genuine Xerox supplies for graphic communication and office printing environments of any size. Through ACS, A Xerox Company, which Xerox acquired in February 2010, Xerox also offers extensive business process outsourcing and IT outsourcing services, including data processing, HR benefits management, finance support, and customer relationship management services for commercial and government organizations worldwide. The 134,000 people of Xerox serve clients in more than 160 countries. For more information, visit http://www.xerox.com, http://news.xerox.com, http://www.realbusiness.com or http://www.acs-inc.com. For investor information, visit http://www.xerox.com/investor.
Note: Connect with ACS, A Xerox Company on Facebook or Twitter. To receive RSS news feeds, visit http://news.xerox.com/pr/xerox/rss.aspx. For open commentary, industry perspectives and views from events visit http://twitter.com/xeroxcorp, http://twitter.com/xeroxoffice, http://twitter.com/xeroxproduction, http://twitter.com/servicesatxerox,http://twitter.com/xeroxevents, http://www.xerox.com/blogs, http://www.xerox.com/podcasts.
XEROX®, XEROX and Design® are trademarks of Xerox Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
