Families participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) can now use their benefits for a much wider variety of brands and types of infant formula, helping them access the formula available in stores during national shortages when Gerber products are not available. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has temporarily made 55 additional formula products available to WIC recipients today as part of its efforts to support families during the shortage. This is in addition to the eight options added last week for different sizes and types of Gerber products.
Amid infant formula shortages across the country, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is connecting families with resources and sharing recommendations to help safely navigate supply issues.
The state of emergency declared nation-wide due to COVID-19 led to the creation of public health policies that aimed to protect citizens from the health contingency. The laws included continuous Medicaid coverage under which beneficiaries were guaranteed uninterrupted coverage, with no need for an annual redetermination on the basis of changes in their household or their income.