Detroit News Examines Legislation That Would Ban Medicare Coverage of ED Treatments

Main Category: Erectile Dysfunction / Premature Ejaculation
Article Date: 11 Apr 2005 - 7:00 PST

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The Detroit News on Sunday examined the debate in Congress over whether the Medicare prescription drug benefit should cover erectile dysfunction treatments. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) has introduced a bill (HR 712) that would prohibit Medicare from covering such drugs, stating that the program should not cover treatments that are used recreationally. King's bill has 21 co-sponsors, including three Democrats. "Show me where we have a constitutional obligation to subsidize recreational sex," King said, adding, "That's something a person can pay out of their own budget. It's not something we should compel young people to fund." Medicaid and the Department of Veterans Affairs cover ED drugs but limit the amount of pills to four per month. U.S. residents in 2004 spent $1.4 billion on ED drugs, according to IMS Health. Advocates for the disabled and prostate cancer survivors have said that ED drugs "can help make impaired men whole again, save intimate relationships and reduce depression," the News reports. Arney Rosenblatt, spokesperson for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, said, "Sexual dysfunction is a serious medical problem, and the lack of sex can certainly destroy a relationship." Kindra Strupp, spokesperson for Lilly ICOS -- the company that makes ED drug Cialis -- said, "The data we have shows that the cost of treatment for ED would be less than one half of 1% of the total spent by Medicare (for prescription drugs). That's based on 17% of men over 65 who currently take ED products." King said he would not amend his bill to exempt Medicare recipients whose impotence is caused by disease because some doctors would not follow the rule (Bremner, Detroit News, 4/3).

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