Big-Picture Advocacy/Intactivism!!! - Page 2

[Jeff B]

Originally Posted by ramlita

Thanks!

You're welcome. Your enthusiasm is contagious. Thanks for starting this thread.

Would you be willing to share some advice here?

Yes

Is it helpful to have people from out of state writing letters to a given state, or is it better to rally people from within the specific state we work on?

I think it's better to rally people from within each state to write letters. Politicians generally pay more attention to input from the people who can vote them in or out of office. They pay less attention to letters from people living outside of their district and even less attention to letters from people living in other states.

Letters to your own state representative and state senator will have the most impact. Contact information for state representatives and state senators is usually listed in the front of the phone book. Also the web sites of most state legislatures have a page to help voters find the names and addresses of the legislators for their district.

In my opinion the important points to include in a letter are:

(1) Medicaid should only pay for medically necessary procedures.

(2) Infant circumcision is not medically necessary according to national and international professional medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association.

(3) Ask your legislator to end Medicaid funding of non-therapeutic circumcision.

You might also mention Medicaid in 16 states does not pay for unnecessary circumcisions. Those states are: Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

If anyone has questions or wants more information about ending Medicaid payments for unnecessary circumcision, please feel free contact me by PM or email.

Jeff

[SleeplessMommy]

Originally Posted by Telle Bear

I love this idea, but how would we go about it ??

a) come up with a name for the "certification" that is not already taken.
b) make the guidelines such that it is easy for a birthing center to meet them. For example, if a birthing center does not offer RIC or refer to RIC providers, they should be eligible.
c) make a web site, and see how many birthing centers you can sign up. Someone would have to call/contact all of the birthing centers toget them to sign up. Mail a certificate suitable for framing.
d) offer docs and nurses official "contientious objector" status.

I think it could be very hard to get hospitals to WANT this kind of certification. But birthing centers, yes, they may be interested.

Many docs and nurses need to receive continuing education, a certain number of hours a year. Does an organization like NOCIRC offer CEU credits for "intact penis care" training? This could be a good way to get the word out/educate the troops.

-sleeplessMommy

[Jeff B]

Originally Posted by ramlita

I'm in VT, so that's why I've been leaning that way.
It looks like there was a bill introduced on the subject,

http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/legd...ntro/H-733.HTM

but I haven't figured out whether I've seen the most recent update on it.

To find the legislative history and current status of a bill go to the Vermont Legislature's home page. Under "Legislative Information Database (Bill Tracking System)" click "Display the current status of a bill", then enter "Bill Number: H.733" and click "Display Status".

It looks like House Bill 733 is still assigned to the House Human Services Committee. It would be interesting to know if the committee held hearings on the bill or if they just tabled it.

From the Vermont Legislature's Frequently Asked Questions page: "The Vermont Legislature meets each Tuesday through Friday during the legislative session, which runs from early January through late April. The adjournment date varies from year to year, but in general the Legislature tries to complete its work in sixteen or seventeen weeks."

Because the Vermont Legislature has adjourned for the year, it is fairly certain that no further action will be taken on the bill during the 2005-2006 session.

Although the above information is for a specific bill in the Vermont Legislature, most state legislature web sites allow citizens to follow the status of a bill as it makes its way through the legislature. Also many of the state legislature web sites have helpful information for citizens who want to influence their elected representatives, like suggestions for writing letters, visiting a legislator's office, etc.

Jeff

[TigerTail]

Jeff, would you consider posting this in Activism? It seems like we need as many people as we can get, & I am pretty sure I cannot just post a link here. Thanks!

[ramlita]

Thanks Jeff!
We're expecting a big shift in power in our state house after next week, so the next session will be a great time to get things moving again!


I've been thinking- there's a Lactivism forum. Should we ask for an Intactivism forum?

[Jeff B]

Originally Posted by TigerTail

Jeff, would you consider posting this in Activism? It seems like we need as many people as we can get, & I am pretty sure I cannot just post a link here. Thanks!

Yes, but I don't have time to do it today. If you or someone else wants to start a thread about stopping Medicaid payments for unnecessary circumcision over there, please feel free to use any of the information I have posted in this thread.

Originally Posted by ramlita

Thanks Jeff!

You're welcome.

I've been thinking- there's a Lactivism forum. Should we ask for an Intactivism forum?

That's a good idea but I though this board was the Intactivism forum.

[jessjgh1]

RE a intactivism forum.... I think that was discussed and a no go.

However, it woudl be great if someone with website capabilities could host something like ProMoM's 3 Minute Lactivist...

Jessica (who lacks website capabilities)