Costs are up, wages are not, and parents are struggling to afford the necessities for their families. Diaper prices are no exception.
Diaper poverty has long been a problem for American families, and the current inflation crisis is only worsening things. Now, though, states are beginning to look into using public resources, through Medicaid, to help provide diapers for families in the greatest need.
The Annual Cost For Diapers Is Crippling For Many Families
Parents of newborns can expect to carry out at least eight diaper changes per day. Even during potty training, toddlers will go through around five diapers or more per day. In terms of price, that can run anywhere from $500 to $900 per year, even without accounting for wipes and other costs like rash creams and changing tables, according to Parenting.
With costs so high that families are now going into debt for groceries, the problem is even more acute. Some states are finding ways to use Medicaid to fill the gap where diaper prices are concerned.
Medicaid May Help Some Families With Diaper Needs
Medicaid programs already existed to cover some diaper costs for children with disabilities who continue to need diapers past the age when most of their peers are potty trained. Delaware and Tennessee became the first states to pilot broader programs earlier this year, according to the American Hospital Association.
In Tennessee, the program covered 100 diapers a month for any child under age two enrolled in Medicaid, and in Delaware, it offered one package of wipes and 80 diapers a week for the first 12 weeks of life. That’s a significant assist when a large package of diapers can cost $40 or more.
In other states, too, parents are seeing the strain. MissouriNet is reporting that as many as half of all families in the U.S. are struggling to afford diaper prices, and they’re turning to programs within the National Diaper Bank network to help out. These programs are now pleading for donations as they suffer their own shortages.
California is the latest state to consider helping parents with diaper costs. Legislation currently under consideration would expand the definition of “medically necessary” so that the state’s Medicaid program, MediCal, could provide diapers for children under age 5, according to NBC.
If these programs continue to expand, parents across the U.S. could see a little relief in diaper prices, taking some of the strain out of providing for a family.
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