A report by the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services said Medicare paid nearly 474,000 claims for vacuum erection systems, totaling about $172.4 million from 2006 to 2011. Yearly claims for the devices nearly doubled from $20.6 million in 2006 to $38.6 million in 2011. To make matters worse, the report further stated that: “Medicare currently pays suppliers more than twice as much for VES as the Department of Veterans Affairs and consumers over the Internet pay for these types of devices.”
Health authorities point out that penis pumps are one of several treatment options available for erectile dysfunction.
In an email statement, Ben Domenici of the Heartland Institute think tank said, “Considering the strain retiring baby boomers will soon be placing on Medicare’s budget, shouldn’t we be focusing this entitlement program on real, life-saving treatment and equipment to serve the health needs of seniors – instead of subsidizing penis pump purchases?”
Voicing what is probably going through most people's minds, he added, “And to those seniors who really do want one, just buy it yourself – you don’t need to send the bill to your fellow Americans.”
In a hilarious segment of the Daily Show, correspondent Samantha Bee addressed the double standard of Obamacare critics objecting to contraceptive coverage for women, and that "women's selfish desire for sexual health and gynecological exams pales in comparison to men's need to deal with erectile dysfunction."
But, of course, "Statistics show that probably some members of our Congress have a vested interested in having penis pumps covered," she added.
“These are hardworking American penises. Should we really be abandoning them at the end of their careers?”
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