Medicare to Cover Drugs for Impotence: "Medicare's new prescription benefit will cover sexual performance drugs, like Viagra, in addition to medications for such ailments as high blood pressure and heart disease, program officials confirmed Monday.
The move into what some consider "lifestyle" — rather than life-saving — pharmaceuticals is being criticized by conservatives, who see it as an unnecessary frill for a program that already is projected to cost at least $400 billion over its first decade. [--snip--]
"I don't think Medicare coverage is going to add much to the market size or much to Medicare costs," Gibbons said, because men between the ages of 40 and 60 make up the prime market for the drugs — a group too young to qualify for the federal health insurance program for the elderly and disabled.
He estimated the new Medicare coverage would add $50 million to $100 million in total sales, a potential boost of 4% to 8%."
Could they at least ask the alter cockers if they'd rather pop for their own Viagra and have the government spend $400 billion on research for prostate cancer or heart disease, rather than hand a $100 million to the drug companies?
