Vendor Peer Groups

Federal Regulations require the New York State (NYS) WIC Program assign all vendors to a vendor peer group based on common characteristics. The purpose of this system is to:

  • Compare vendors that are similar
  • Offer fair reimbursement
  • Apply competitive price criteria to contain costs
  • Maximize participant enrollment

Vendor Peer Group assignment is based on:

Geography

  • Rural-Urban Commuting Areas, Census tract data, population density and traffic commuting flow
  • Determined by the zip code of your store’s location
  • Classifies vendors as urban (Rural-Urban Commuting Area Code 1-3) or non-urban (Rural-Urban Commuting Area Code 4-10)

Business Model

Based on store type and chain status Classifies vendors as stores or pharmacies; independent, minor chain or major chain Independent store:

  • Independent pharmacy: 4 or fewer NYS WIC authorized vendors with the same owner and/or vendor name
  • Minor chain store: 5 to 24 NYS WIC authorized vendors with the same owner and/or vendor name
  • Major chain store: 25 or more NYS WIC authorized vendors with the same owner and/or vendor name
  • Chain pharmacy: 5 or more NYS WIC authorized vendors with the same owner and/or vendor name

Store Size

Based on the number of cash registers, stores are classified as:

  • Small: 1-2 registers
  • Medium: 3-7 registers
  • Large: 8-14 registers
  • Extra-large: 15 or more registers