Protecting, maintaining and improving the health of all Minnesotans
Memo
To:
From:
Date:
Subject:
WIC Coordinators
State WIC Staff
February 20, 2013
Processing Standards: Guidance for HuBERT Release
2.17.07
HuBERT Release 2.17.07 is set for implementation on February 23, 2013. One of the
new features in this release is a method to better track federal Processing Standards.
Processing Standards describe the amount of time permitted between the date when an
applicant applies for WIC benefits (Initial Contact) and the date of the first appointment
offered.
Minnesota Operations Manual, Chapter 3, section 3.2 states:
Local agencies must offer applicants a certification appointment to determine eligibility
for WIC benefits with the timeframes specified below
• Applicants who visit the WIC clinic during WIC clinic hours and who are at special
nutritional risk (pregnant women, infants less than 6 months of age, and migrant
families who plan to leave the area soon) must be offered an appointment
within 10 calendar days.
• Others, including those who request an appointment by phone or letter, must be
offered an appointment within 20 calendar days.
With Release 2.17.07, HuBERT will have a function that will better track the “Date of
Application” and the “Date of First Appointment Offered” through the addition of the
INITIAL CONTACT button found on the following screens:
• VOC Certification
• Prescreen
• Participant Search – new icon
• Participant List
• Demographics in both the Certification Guided Script (CGS) and the Folder
• Schedule Appointments for Household
(See Release Document 2.17.07, pages 42-47 for the complete explanation.)
General Information: 651-201-5000 • Toll-free: 888-345-0823 • TTY: 651-201-5797 • www.health.state.mn.us
An equal opportunity employer
Following are questions and answers related to this implementation:
1. Of the following scenarios, which ones require the use of the Initial Contact
screen?
i) Brand new applicant - YES;
ii) A former WIC participant whose certification has lapsed – YES, if the lapse
in certification is greater than 30 days;
iii) Pregnant woman, currently on WIC, who delivers and requests certification
for herself (postpartum) and her new baby – YES for the baby, NO for the
woman;
iv) Postpartum woman, currently certified for WIC, who now applies as a
pregnant woman – YES;
v) Postpartum woman, not certified for WIC during her pregnancy, who applies
for WIC for herself and her new baby – YES for both applicants;
vi) Current participant, whose certification is ending, and who needs to be
scheduled for a recertification – NO, if the recertification appointment can
be scheduled within the following 30 days;
vii) Participant in a current certification period who transfers to Minnesota from
out-of-state – NO, but schedule the transfer as soon as possible;
viii) Participant who misses a scheduled appointment and contacts the WIC office
to reschedule – YES.
2. Our agency uses Same Day/Next Day scheduling. If an applicant calls today, but
all the appointments for today are full, the applicant is told to call tomorrow. How
should this be documented?
ANSWER: Date of application is the date the applicant first calls. Leave the
“First Appointment Offered Date” blank; write a comment documenting the
information given to the applicant, such as “Today appts are full; call tomorrow”
or “Schedule is full; call tomorrow”. Additional guidance will be forthcoming.
3. The Minnesota Operations Manual, Section 3.2, states: “When an applicant (or a
participant not in a current certification) requests program benefits in-person
during WIC clinic hours, staff should prescreen the individual”. What is the
definition for “a participant not in a current certification”?
ANSWER: A participant whose certification has lapsed more than 30 days
beyond the “Certification End Date” is considered not in a current certification.
(See scenario 1.ii. above.)
Best practice for scheduling appointments is to see high risk applicants within 10
calendar days of their date of application and all others within 20 calendar days of date
of application. We realize there are special circumstances (e.g., small WIC agencies
that have limited number of WIC clinic days per month). In situations where your agency
is routinely unable to meet the Processing Standards, we recommend consulting with
your state WIC Regional Consultant to determine the best options for WIC applicants.
Please stay tuned for further guidance on documenting Processing Standards in
HuBERT. Additional questions are sure to be generated once this new function is
implemented.