Colorado Medicaid and Circumcision

13 Feb 2018

ACTION ALERT! Colorado Reinstates Medicaid Payment for Circumcision

We have recently learned that the Colorado legislature has reinstated Medicaid payment for circumcision by way of a budget amendment passed during the 2017 legislative session. This is bad news for Colorado boys, and distressing for those of us who worked so hard in previous years to eliminate Medicaid funding for this harmful and unnecessary procedure. The screenshot below is from last year’s legislative newsletter.

Colorado Medicaid Policy

HOW CAN YOU HELP? We need your help NOW to let legislators know that there are many tax-paying Coloradans who do not think that precious Medicaid dollars should be spent on this elective, non-therapeutic, purely cultural practice. Your letters are crucially important to raising awareness of this issue for legislators during this year’s legislative session!

First, we urge you to contact the members of the Joint Budget Committee, where the budget is now under consideration. You can contact them even if you don’t live in their district, because the Committee serves all Coloradans.

We have developed a sample letter to help you convey your concerns to the Joint Budget Committee and your request that they remove Medicaid payment for infant circumcision from this year’s budget. While it is best to personalize your letter or e-mail, sending a form letter is much better than nothing! Be sure to include your return address so they know you are a Colorado resident.

This year’s Joint Budget Committee members, with their contact information are:

Second, we urge you to send letters or emails to your own personal State Senators and Representatives. You can find out who yours are, with their contact info, via this link. Enter your address in the search box on the map.

Democrat and Republican lawmakers may be motivated by different arguments. We have found that Republicans tend not to want to expand Medicaid, whereas Dems tend not to want to take anything away from the poor, but may be receptive to the idea that Medicaid dollars could serve the poor better by not being spent on medically unnecessary procedures.

We have developed a sample letter suitable for both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. For maximum effect, keep your letter short, polite, and well-reasoned. Again, feel free to personalize, and be sure to include your address so they know you are a constituent.

Please send these letters NOW! THANK YOU SO MUCH, and we will keep you informed!
The contents of this site are not intended to replace the professional medical advice of a licensed practitioner.