Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that TennCare and CoverKids members under age two will be eligible to receive up to 100 diapers per month as part of the TennCare Diaper Benefit beginning Wednesday.
TennCare is Tennessee’s Medicaid program, while CoverKids offers free health coverage for pregnant women and children who do not have insurance and do not qualify for TennCare.
The new program is part of the governor’s Strong Families Initiative.
Strong families create strong communities.
We’re taking bold steps to support families by easing a financial burden on new mothers – the cost of diapers.
Starting tomorrow, this first-in-the-nation program will cover the cost of diapers for children under 2 on TennCare. pic.twitter.com/xlNdCgK30Q
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) August 6, 2024
“Strong families are the foundation for strong communities, and with our Strong Families Initiative, we’re taking bold steps to support families like never before by easing the financial burden on new mothers,” Lee said in a statement.
“Through responsible management of our TennCare program and the shared savings model, these crucial services will be provided at no additional cost to Tennesseans. Together, we’ll strengthen families and create a brighter future,” Lee added.
Under the new Diaper Benefit program, TennCare and CoverKids members can walk into any participating pharmacy in Tennessee and show their child’s OptumRx TennCare pharmacy card or provide their child’s social security number to receive free packs of diapers.
New parents who are waiting on a TennCare ID for their newborn baby may also take advantage of the benefit by temporarily presenting their own TennCare pharmacy ID card or social security number at participating pharmacies.
The Diaper Benefit program will provide each child under two with roughly 100 diapers every 30 days, according to the governor’s office.
Diapers will be available to eligible children beginning Wednesday, including the brands Huggies and Cuties.
Other brands, including Pampers and Luvs, are expected to be part of the program in the future, the governor’s office notes.
For more information about the Diaper Benefit program, including a list of participating pharmacies, visit TennCare’s website at https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/members-applicants/benefits-services/diapers.html.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
