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[[Image:Money.jpg|right|thumb|]]
'''Financial incentive''' in the United States to perform medically-unnecessary, non-therapeutic [[circumcision]] is very large. Non-therapeutic [[circumcision ]] is a multi-billion dollar industry. Profit is reaped not only from the practice of circumcision itself, and associated hospital charges, but also from the sale of harvested [[Foreskin| foreskins]], the sale of products derived from harvested foreskins, the sale of circumcision specific tools and utensils, and the treatment of oomplications [[Complication| complications]] and botched circumcisions.
== The procedure itself ==
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1.2 million baby boys are circumcised a year in the [[United States ]] alone. At a dollar per procedure, that is already $1,200,000 a year. The going rate for a circumcision procedure is approximately $1,700 when hospital charges are included, multiplied by 1.2 million, that is approximately $2,040,000,000 a year that circumcision brings in based on the procedure alone.
When a baby boy is to be [[circumcised]], mother and baby remain in hospital for about one-fourth of a day longer,<ref name="mansfield1995" /> so that increases the profit to the hospital.
Bollinger (2012) estimates that the total cost of non-therapeutic male circumcision, including hospital costs, repair of botched circumcisions, treatment of complications, and so on is more than $3 billion per year.<ref name="bollinger2012">{{REFweb
|accessdate=2020-11-25
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|quote=As they the saying goes, follow the money. Now you know why neither the [[American Academy of Pediatrics]], American Medical Association, [[American Academy of Family Physicians]], or the [[American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists| American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists]] haven’t condemned this unnecessary surgery, and why their physician members are quick to recommend the procedure to expectant parents.
}}</ref> [[Third-party payment]] is a major support to the performance of this medically-unnecessary surgery.
The now expired and discredited AAP 2012 ''Circumcision Policy Statement'' stated that "Although health benefits are not great enough to recommend routine (i.e. non-therapeutic) circumcision for all male newborns, the benefits of circumcision are sufficient to justify access to this procedure for families choosing it and to '''warrant [[third-party payment]]''' for [[circumcision ]] of male newborns. It is important that clinicians routinely inform parents of the health benefits and risks of male newborn [[circumcision ]] in an unbiased and accurate manner." and "The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has endorsed this statement."<ref>{{REFweb
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==Government support ==
Although the [[foreskin ]] has [[Immunological and protective function of the foreskin| immunological and protective functions]], Government medical insurance in the [[United States ]] still holds the notion, which originated in the late 19th century, that the [[foreskin]] is a cesspool of disease, and circumcision improves hygiene and prevents sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), therefore it is best cut off and insurance should pay for it without any proof of [[medical indication]] or necessity, so there are no effective controls in force to see that only medically necessary services are covered.<ref name="hodges1997">{{REFbook
|last=Hodges
|first=Frederick M.
===Indian Health Service===
The [https://www.ihs.gov/ Indian Health Service] provides non-therapeutic circumcision to native Americans, even though [[circumcision ]] is not part of the culture of native Americans.
===Tricare===
===Civil servants===
There are about 2 million United States government employees in the [[United States ]] whose health insurance covers non-therapeutic circumcision.
===Medicare===
The [https://www.medicare.gov/ United States Medicare Program] provides health insurance for persons who have reached the age of 65 years. It assumes that any man with a [[foreskin]] needs a [[circumcision]]. It does not require proof of medical necessity to provide third[[hird-party payment]].
===State and local government===