Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the U. S. government agency that administers Medicare and Medicaid. The CMS is directed by Dr. Mehmet Cengiz Öz. The CMS is a component of the Department of Health and Human Services, which is headed by Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr.
Medicaid is a joint federal/state program. The individual states determine the benefit to be paid.
Benefit
Thirty-seven states have elected to provide a benefit for circumcision. CMS reimburses the states for a portion of the cost.
Circumcision issues
Circumcision is the surgical amputation of the normal part of the penis, alternatively designated as the "foreskin" or "prepuce".
The CMS by federal law must pay only for medically-necessary services. There are no medical indications for circumcision of the newborn, which is a harmful amputation of useful, protective, functional, erogenous tissue. The CMS unlawfully provides third-party payment for medically-unnecessary, non-therapeutic circumcision in most states.[1]
The Trump Administration wants to root out fraud, waste, and abuse in the federal government. Payment for non-therapeutic child circumcision qualifies as all three.[2]
- Fraud: Circumcision is promoted with false statements regarding its alleged value.[3]
- Waste: Federal funds used to pay the federal portion of Medicaid third-party payments for circumcision of the newborn is waste because it does not treat, prevent, or cure disease.[1] [4]
- Abuse: Payment for unnecessary, non-therapeutic surgical procedures is a violation of federal law and is abusive.[1]
Doctors Opposing Circumcision published a review of the issues concerning payment for non-therapeutic circumcision for CMS in 2019,[4] but it has been ignored.
See also
External links
Official website. Retrieved 8 December 2025- Wikipedia article: Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Wikipedia article: Medicaid
References
- ↑ a b c
Adler PW. Is it lawful to use Medicaid to pay for circumcision? 
. Journal of Law and Medicine. 2011; 19: 335-353. PMID. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ↑ Legal Clarity Team (20 August 2025).
What Is the Difference Between Fraud, Waste, and Abuse?
, https://legalclarity.org, Administrative and Government Law. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
Quote:Fraud, waste, and abuse represent distinct challenges across various sectors, including government, healthcare, and business. Understanding their individual characteristics and implications is important for the public. These issues can lead to significant financial losses, erode trust, and undermine the effectiveness of programs and services.
- ↑
Adler PW (2022): Circumcision Is A Fraud. KDP. ISBN 979-8844459276. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ↑ a b
Anonymous: Male Circumcision: A special report to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services , Doctors Opposing Circumcision. (1 February 2019). Retrieved 8 December 2025.
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