News Archive

Utah Drops Medicaid!

From: J. Steven Svoboda
Date: 11 Mar 2003
Time: 05:02:36

Comments

Nathan Kennard has this wonderful news to report:

The Utah Legislature passed the budget yesterday [Thursday, March 6] before the close of the session omitting funding for circumcision through Medicaid.

A large number of people contributed to this effort including the members of MP-UT group, NOCIRC - Medicaid Project, DOC, Judi Hilman (a local advocate for the poor), Dianna Douglas (Utah public radio, now with NPR), Steve Scott and others. Thank you all for your help.

Nathan

P.S. For me, an extension to this project will be to get funding taken from circumcision for state employees. The Medicaid savings was estimated at $100,000 (state dollars) while expenditures for state employees have been confirmed to be greater than $150,000. The director of the state public employees health plan is sympathetic with my efforts and has been very cooperative.

This makes Utah the first state to drop Medicaid funding in 2003 and the fifth to do so in less than a year! We now have eleven states that refuse to fund this harmful procedure. Nathan, one of the leading activists in Utah, has kindly agreed to do a story on the Utah development for the upcoming ARC newsletter, due to be mailed out within a week or so in order that everyone in North America can receive it in advance of Genital Integrity Awareness Week. Thanks as always to the amazing Al Fields.

We ought to publish the newsletter more often, as this is the third consecutive issue that went to press within a week in either direction from the date a state dropped Medicaid funding.

Steven