Erectile dysfunction drugs banned from Medicare
Executive Summary
President Bush signs into law a bill that ends Medicare and Medicaid coverage for erectile dysfunction drugs. The Congressional Budget Office estimates $690 mil. in savings over five years for no longer covering drugs such as Pfizer's Viagra, Lilly/Icos' Cialis and Schering/GSK's Levitra, according to the House Ways & Means committee. Savings will fund the Transitional Medical Assistance program, which continues Medicaid coverage for families leaving welfare for work, and the "QI" program, through which states help low-income seniors pay Medicare Part B premiums...