News Archive

Montana Eliminates Medicaid Coverage of Circumcision!

From: J. Steven Svoboda
Date: 23 Dec 2002
Time: 16:59:45

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I am overjoyed during this holiday season to be able to share with you news of the fruits of the labors of many dedicated activists. Montana has just become the fourth state this year to eliminate Medicaid funding for circumcision. Montana is therefore now the 10th state (along with apparently all territories and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico) that will no longer allow this federal-state insurance plan to fund this unnecessary and harmful procedure. Arizona announced its elimination of funding last June and its action was followed by Missouri in July and by North Carolina in September. States which as of January 1, 2002 did not fund circumcision include California, Oregon, North Dakota, Nevada, Mississippi and Washington.

Here is an article from the Missoulian about this exciting development:

Deep Medicaid cuts announced By JENNIFER McKEE of the Missoulian State Bureau State slashes more benefits as of Jan. 1

HELENA - People with Medicaid, a federal-state insurance plan for the poor and elderly, will no longer be able to get prosthetic limbs, dental care, circumcisions and some other services, state officials announced Friday. Despite previous cuts to programs, the state estimated its Medicaid budget would be $3.6 million in the red by June 30, according to a letter Friday to doctors, hospitals and other medical personnel who treat Medicaid patients. To avoid busting its budget, the state's Medicaid Assistance Bureau decided to do away with some services temporarily, ax some for good, reduce payments and otherwise restrict services. The first of the cuts takes effect Jan. 1, when patients needing to rent a wheelchair, hospital bed or special shower and commode chair will have to submit those requests for review.

Other cuts include: A permanent end to Medicaid reimbursement for circumcision, breast reduction surgery and gastric-bypass surgery, a radical surgery for the critically obese that reduces the size of the stomach. Physical, speech and occupational therapy will now have a 40-hours-per-year cap. Claritin, an allergy medicine now available without a prescription, will no longer be covered. Some of the cuts are only temporary, expiring in July, the beginning of a new fiscal year. Those include: no more dental care for anyone over 21, except to treat pain. No more prostheses, hearing aids, eyeglasses and other medical items for people over 21.

The state is reducing its payment to hospitals by 5 percent temporarily.

Ending dental care was expected to save $291,531. Ending coverage for prosthetic limbs and other equipment was expected to save $193,750. Ending circumcisions was expected to save $25,378. The department also made other cuts in the amount of money it will pay to Medicaid providers such as doctors and hospitals and made it more difficult to qualify for Medicaid. Officials also transferred several hundred thousand dollars from other pots of money within the state Department of Public Health and Human Services' budget.

The last cut to hit is a reduction in the amount of money Medicaid will pay for generic drugs, reducing how much the government covers from 85 percent of the average price to 75 percent. That goes into effect April 1. Because Medicaid is funded by federal matching dollars, the state's $3.6 million in cuts actually amounts to a $13.3 million hit to the program, the letter stated.

Jeff Buska, Medicaid Bureau chief, said several doctors panels considered a variety of procedures, like circumcision and breast reduction, and concluded that they are not medically necessary. Consequently, Buska said, the agency decided to cut coverage for those services. "Circumcision is something we've been looking at for a long time," he said.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who has worked so hard to eliminate circumcision and to stop Medicaid funding for it.

Steven