MISSOURI'S WIC PROGRAM REALIZES COST SAVINGS; EXPANDS SERVICES

An additional 6,000 Missouri women, infants and children are expected to receive supplemental food and nutritional counseling at no charge as a result of a new infant-formula contract.

The Missouri Department of Health operated the federally funded Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Food Program, known as WIC.

The three-year contract will generate an estimated return of $20 million each year in rebates - $3 million more than the current contract. The cost savings will allow more Missourians to participate in the program, increasing the total statewide monthly participation from 117,000 to 123,000.

As the single supplier of standard infant formula for Missouri's WIC Program, the new contractor, MeadJohnson Nutritionals, will provide Enfamil and ProSobee, the two standard formulas offered by WIC.

The system still allows for the use of special infant formulas made by other manufacturers for infants with metabolic disease and other special medical conditions.