TennCare is the first Medicaid agency in the nation to cover the cost of diapers.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Iris Rudder, R-Winchester, 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 proud Tennessee is leading the way in ensuring a basic necessity like diapers won’t put a financial strain on new parents or caregivers in need,” Rudder said. “This benefit will hopefully ease the stress on new families, allowing them to focus on nurturing a strong family and raising healthy children.”
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, diapers for one baby can cost a family $93 per month, according to the Nashville Diaper Connection. 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 four participating pharmacies in Franklin and Marion 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.
Program administrators are working to expand to additional pharmacies throughout the state. For more information on the benefit, visit the TennCare Diaper website here.
Iris Rudder represents District 39 which includes Franklin and Marion Counties.
