William Simpson
Low-income parents and caregivers in Delaware and Tennessee are getting a lifeline to help reduce one of the most common medical conditions in babies: diaper rash. Both states have received federal approval to provide free diapers through their Medicaid programs, according to federal and state officials.
In TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid program, parents and legal guardians can pick up up to 100 diapers per month for children under age 2 at participating pharmacies starting in August, Tennessee officials said. he said.
“For infants and young children, an important benefit of an adequate supply of diapers is the prevention of diaper dermatitis, also known as diaper rash, and urinary tract infections,” the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stated last week in an approval Letter to Tennessee.
The federal agency also approved a similar Medicaid program in Delaware, which will provide up to 80 diapers and a package of baby wipes per week to parents for the first 12 weeks after the child’s birth. CMS said the state can use Medicaid funding to extend the program for another five years.
“Access to sufficient diapers also provides health benefits for parents, as the need for diapers is associated with maternal depression and stress,” a spokesperson for Delaware Health and Social Services told The Associated Press in an email. .
The cost of diapers
A child needs up to a dozen diapers a day, at a cost of $80 to $100 or more a month, according to the National Diaper Bank Network, an advocacy group. The cost of diapers can equal 8 percent of someone’s income if they earn the federal minimum wage, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported. observed.
Meanwhile, parents who don’t have enough diapers can’t leave their children at daycare, hampering their ability to work.
Tennessee’s request to the federal agency came from an initiative backed by Gov. Bill Lee in 2023 that had lawmakers approve $30 million in TennCare funding for free diapers.
“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,” Lee, a Republican, said in a statement Wednesday.
Tennessee has built a track record over the years for its willingness to reject federal funding for those who are struggling or living in poverty. The state announced in January that it would reject nearly $9 million in federal funding to prevent and treat HIV, with Lee saying Tennessee did not want to face the restrictions associated with accepting federal funds.
—The Associated Press contributed to this report.
