Colorado: Tell the Senate Health and Human Services committee to vote NO to reinstating circumcision on Medicaid

Originally posted here.

'If you live in Colorado or know someone who does, please read this important message from NOCIRC of Colorado.

TO ALL COLORADO RESIDENTS:

We need your help THIS WEEK!
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As you may know, last year Colorado became the 18th state to remove payment for newborn circumcision from Medicaid. This was a huge victory not only for baby boys, but also for the taxpayers.

But now, some members of the Colorado legislature are trying to reinstate Medicaid coverage of circumcision. Colorado Senate Bill 12-090 would waste taxpayer dollars on medically unnecessary newborn circumcision.
Link to the bill:
http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2012a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/D9846C2F0630E6D087257981007DC869?open&file=090_01.pdf

The Colorado Senate Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee will hold a hearing and vote on the bill THIS THURSDAY, Feb 2, 2012, at 1:30 p.m. at the state Capitol in Denver. If the bill passes committee, it will move forward to the full Senate.

WITHOUT YOUR HELP THIS BILL WILL PASS THE COMMITTEE! We expect that the vote will be close and in favor of the bill, so if we can change just one senator's mind, we may be able to defeat the bill!

Please act now! Here's how you can help:

We need YOU to send an e-mail and/or make a phone call ASAP to the members of the Colorado Senate HHS Committee and ask them to VOTE NO on Senate Bill 12-090. Contact information for the senators is below. You can contact them even if you don't live in their district because this is a committee action.

Your e-mail should be short and to the point; legislators are very busy and can't read long e-mails. Here's a sample e-mail you can copy-and-paste if you like:

Subject: "Vote NO on SB 90: Circumcision and Medicaid"

Dear Senator [insert senator's name],

Medicaid should not pay for newborn circumcision because it is elective, medically unnecessary, and not recommended by medical organizations. At a time when so many people are going without NEEDED medical care, and our state is struggling to make ends meet, it is not right to waste taxpayer dollars on this unnecessary and risky procedure. The Colorado legislature made the right decision last year to remove circumcision from Medicaid. Please vote NO on Senate Bill 12-090.

Sincerely,
[your name]
[your address]

Feel free to write your own e-mail, but please stick to the fact that newborn circumcision is medically unnecessary and a waste of money. Arguments relating to ethics, human rights, trauma, or sexual harm won't be persuasive to the senators, and may close their minds to other arguments. Also, please avoid use of inflammatory language like referring to circumcision as "mutilation", and avoid mentioning religion.

Here's the list of senators on the HHS Committee that you can send the above e-mail to:

Sen Irene Aguilar, M.D. (D)
irene.aguilar.senate@state.co.us 303-866-4852

Sen Betty Boyd (D)
betty.boyd.senate@state.co.us 303-866-4857

Sen Kevin Lundberg (R)
kevin@kevinlundberg.com 303-866-4853

Sen Shawn Mitchell (R)
shawnmitch@aol.com 303-866-4876

Sen Linda Newell (D)
linda.newell.senate@gmail.com 303-866-4846

Sen Jeanne Nicholson (D)
jeanne.nicholson.senate@state.co.us 303-866-4873

Sen Ellen Roberts (R)
ellen.roberts.senate@state.co.us 303-866-4884

Sen Jean White (R)
jean.white.senate@state.co.us 303-866-5292

The author of this bill is Sen Joyce Foster (D), joyce.foster.senate@state.co.us. 303-866-4875. She is the 9th member of the HSS Committee. She describes circumcision on her website as a "very important health procedure". While she won't vote against her own bill, she should still hear from opponents of the bill.

Again, there will be a public hearing on the bill just before the HHS Committee votes. The hearing is THIS THURSDAY, Feb 2, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time, in room SCR 356 (Senate Committee Room, 3rd floor) at the Colorado State Capitol building in downtown Denver (200 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80203). Several of us will be speaking against the bill. If you'd like to speak against the bill, you will need to sign up at the hearing, and you will have no more than 5 minutes to talk. We hope many of you can come to the hearing to lend your support! The circumcision bill is 3rd on the docket, so plan to spend the afternoon!

Link to the hearing schedule:
http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2012a/csl.nsf/CalendarsFrameSet?OpenForm&chamber=Senate

Please help us get the word out - forward this e-mail to anyone you know in Colorado who might be willing to help us fight this bill. AND PLEASE CALL AND EMAIL THE ABOVE LEGISLATORS NOW!

Thank you for your support!
Craig Garrett
Gillian Longley RN
NOCIRC of Colorado'