TennCare is the first Medicaid agency in the nation to cover the cost of diapers.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Elaine Davis, R-Knoxville, 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.
“Diapers are a basic necessity for infants and I’m beyond thankful we can give this significant relief to our families in need,” Davis said. “Tennessee’s conservative fiscal management has allowed us to provide this first-of-its-kind benefit to protect the health of our young children and ease the financial burden for their caregivers.”
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.
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 17 participating pharmacies in Knox County, a list of those 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.
Elaine Davis represents District 18 which includes part of Knox County.
