Erectile Dysfunction Drugs And MedicareERECTILE DYSFUNCTION DRUGS AND MEDICARE
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Erectile Dysfunction Drugs And Medicare In an effort to save millions of dollars a year, American men will no longer receive Medicare coverage for erectile dysfunction drugs when taken to improve sexual performance. The new change went into effect January 1, 2007. This does not include men taking Viagra, Cialis or Levitra for conditions such as pulmonary hypertension, a lung problem. Erectile dysfunction drugs and Medicare's ability and willingness to provide funding for those in need, is a sensitive issue. A Medicare spokesman said he could not provide statistics on how much Medicare spent on the drugs. But in 2005, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the Medicare coverage would cost $2 billion over a ten year period.
Many Medicare plans already limited erectile dysfunction prescriptions to four pills a month and usually required prior approval before a physician could prescribe the drugs. And so for those who valiantly fought to maintain funding for erectile dysfunction drugs from Medicare, the battle has been temporarily lost. But the war is not over. The following letter by U.S.Representative Vic Snyder, regarding erectile dysfunction drugs and Medicare makes a strong case why the new ruling may one day be overturned.
ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION DRUGS AND MEDICARE Medications to Improve Quality of Life Are Valuable and Necessary By U.S. Representative Vic Snyder Aging Arkansas June 2005 Erectile Dysfunction Drugs and Medicare
There is ongoing debate over whether Medicare should cover erectile dysfunction medications such as Viagra. The discussion began earlier this year after the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) interpreted the new Medicare prescription drug benefit to mean that such drugs must be covered under Medicare if they are prescribed by a doctor. There is support in both the U.S. House and Senate for legislation that would stop Medicare from paying for Viagra and other drugs to help those who suffer from erectile dysfunction. Opponents of the drugs’ coverage under Medicare say that medications for erectile dysfunction are not medically necessary, and label them “lifestyle drugs.” Their argument is that sexual dysfunction does not physically harm anyone. Respectfully, these people are wrong.
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As a family physician in Arkansas for more than 15 years, I know that erectile dysfunction is a medical condition recognized by health care providers and insurers alike. It can be caused by a number of factors including kidney and heart disease or diabetes. I have seen the harm it can cause a person’s overall health and relationship with their loved one. Sexual dysfunction can, and does, decrease quality of life, often resulting in poor physical and mental health. The objective of health care, and the objective of Medicare, is to allow people not just to live longer, but to live longer as productively and with as much contentment in their lives as possible. Experts say that elderly men with erectile dysfunction tend to let other aspects of their health deteriorate more than those who have healthy sex lives. If erectile dysfunction drugs continue to be covered by Medicare, more people who experience sexual dysfunction might also take an active role in helping themselves.
Even the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) covers four Viagra pills per month in their health care plan. How could the federal government support erectile dysfunction drugs for one group of seniors, but not for another?
The ability to function sexually is not a frivolous ambition. It is an integral and very significant part of the human experience and an important part of the marital relationship in couples of all ages. If medicine can prolong this kind of healthy sexual vitality, then politicians ought to stay out of the way.
There are many people for whom erectile dysfunction drugs are working and improving their quality of life. What a shame if such people could no longer afford the medication if prescription drug coverage under Medicare is not provided.
The medical teams who advise the federal government should make decisions about what prescriptions can be provided under Medicare--not lawmakers. These drugs should not be used by young people for sexual experimentation, but for men with diagnoses of erectile dysfunction, the drugs can be a blessing.
I will continue monitoring the debate of whether drugs to help those who suffer from erectile dysfunction will be covered under Medicare. It is my hope that other lawmakers realize the many benefits of such drugs, such as better mental and physical health, and a better quality of life for those whom have been prescribed the medication by their doctor. (article:erectile dysfunction drugs and medicare)
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