Prometheus 6

I find it ridiculous to even have this discussion when insulin and syringes for diabetic are not covered. We're talking about something necessary to stay alive, not just to stay lively.

I do have a suggestion, though. Sell the drugs over the counter. Trust me, you'll make more money that way...and isn't that what this is really all about?

Companies Fight to Ensure Coverage for Erectile Drugs
By ROBERT PEAR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 - Drug companies are strenuously resisting bipartisan efforts in Congress to prohibit Medicare from paying for Viagra and other drugs for erectile dysfunction.

The issue of whether Medicare's new prescription drug benefit should cover such treatments is raising broader questions of ethics, economics, politics and health policy.

...The debate centers on whether a drug used to enhance sexual performance should even be eligible for Medicare coverage. Proponents of providing the coverage say that erectile dysfunction often has a physical cause and that treatment can significantly improve the quality of a man's life. Opponents say that Medicare, already growing at an unsustainable rate, cannot afford to pay for "lifestyle drugs."

Administration officials said recently that, under their reading of the new Medicare drug benefit, they had to pay for drugs like Viagra, Levitra and Cialis when they were prescribed.