TennCare is the first Medicaid agency in the nation to cover the cost of diapers.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Dennis Powers, R-Jacksboro, announced TennCare families are now able to receive free diapers for their children.
Beginning August 7, TennCare and CoverKids members under the age of two will be eligible to receive up to 100 diapers per month.
“I’m thrilled that Tennessee is paving the way to ensure every parent or caregiver is able to provide clean diapers for their child,” Powers said. “I hope this initiative eases the financial burden on families in need and keeps our youngest Tennesseans healthy.”
In 2023, the General Assembly approved the TennCare Diaper Benefit as part of Gov. Bill Lee’s Strong Family Initiative. The approval allowed more families and caregivers to qualify for assistance and established the diaper benefit program.
The program was funded through shared savings from the state’s unique TennCare III Medicaid waiver, which rewards Tennessee for the effective and responsible management of its Medicaid agency. In the first two years, Tennessee achieved more than $600 million in shared savings which are being reinvested in various ways to better serve families in need.
On average, a monthly supply of diapers for one baby can cost a family around $80, according to 2023 data from Helping Mamas Knoxville. Most babies will go through nearly 3,000 diapers during their first year alone, according to data from the American Association of Pediatrics.
Parents or caregivers can get diapers from select pharmacies, similar to how they would pick up a prescription. They must show the pharmacist their child’s OptumRx pharmacy card in order to receive the diapers. For infants who do not have their card yet, their parent’s OptumRx card or social security number will be accepted.
There are currently nine participating pharmacies in Campbell, Claiborne and Union Counties. The pharmacy locations can be found here.
Diaper brands covered by the benefit in the initial launch are Huggies, Cuties, Pampers or Luvs. However, the pharmacies will ultimately decide which brands they carry.
As the TennCare Diaper Benefit grows, they plan to have additional package sizes and types of diapers from these four brands as they work to expand the list of covered products.
For more information on the benefit, visit the TennCare Diaper website here.
State Rep. Dennis Powers represents District 36 which includes Campbell, Union and part of Claiborne Counties.
