NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee will soon become the first state in the nation to offer free diapers to families enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program after receiving federal approval, state officials confirmed.
Under TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid program, families will be able to receive up to 100 diapers per month for children under two starting in August – which will be available at TennCare pharmacies.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved Tennessee’s proposal last week. The request stemmed from a 2023 Republican Gov. Bill Lee-backed initiative aimed at supporting families, for which lawmakers approved allocating $30 million in TennCare funding for free diapers.
“For infants and young children, an important benefit of adequately providing diapers is the prevention of diaper dermatitis, also known as diaper rash, and urinary tract infections,” CMS wrote in its approval letter to the state on May 17. the most common medical conditions in infants and young children, and frequent diaper changing is the basis of recommendations to prevent this condition.”
On average, newborns may need eight to 10 diapers per day, or about 300 per month. Children can use around 150 diapers per month.
“Strong families are critical to strong communities, and Tennessee is leading the nation in prioritizing resources for families in need,” Lee said in a statement Wednesday. “We are the first state in the country to cover the cost of diapers for mothers in the first two years of a child’s life and we hope this will be a model for others.”
Along with approving the diaper benefit, CMS approved increasing the TennCare income limit for parents to 100% of poverty. Previously, Tennessee income eligibility was set at specific monthly amounts rather than being tied to the federal poverty level.
That means a parent in a family of three used to face an income limit of about $1,600 a month. With the new changes, the income limit jumps to about $2,000 per month.
According to a report from the Sycamore Institute, a Tennessee think tank, Tennessee now has the highest income eligibility for parents and caregivers among the 10 states that have not largely expanded Medicaid eligibility for adults under the Affordable Care Act.
Tennessee’s new diaper benefit stands out as the state has gained attention over the years for being increasingly willing to reject federal funding that offers valuable resources to other struggling families and individuals.
Earlier this year, Tennessee confirmed it would only participate in a federal program that gives low-income families $40 per child, per month to pay for food while school is out for a year — opting out in 2025 because the Lee administration argued that other food programs existed.
Meanwhile, public health advocates say they were shocked when the state announced in January that it was rejecting about $9 million in federal funding earmarked for HIV prevention and treatment.
Instead, health officials chose to fund the HIV prevention program with state dollars. This allowed Tennessee to bypass federal requirements and refuse to fund Planned Parenthood, long criticized by Republicans for offering abortion and LGBTQ+ services.
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