Penis pump inflation gets a rise out of US Medicare auditor
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Version 0 of 1. Penis pumps cost the US government's Medicare programme $172m between 2006 and 2011, about twice as much as the consumer would have paid at the retail level, according to a government watchdog's report released on Monday. The report by the inspector general for the health department said Medicare, the government health insurance system for seniors, paid nearly 474,000 claims for vacuum erection systems, or VES, totalling about $172.4m from 2006 to 2011. Yearly claims for the devices nearly doubled from $20.6m in 2006 to $38.6m in 2011. According to the Mayo Clinic penis pumps are one of a few treatment options for erectile dysfunction. <br />Government waste is a major issue in budget talks in the US capital as lawmakers try to reach agreement on a $1tn spending bill. "Medicare payment amounts for VES remain grossly excessive compared with the amounts that non-Medicare payers pay," said the report, dated December 2013. "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." If Medicare had adjusted its payments to approximately the price available to non-Medicare payers the US government would have saved an average of about $14.4m for each of the six years, the report said. "Considering the strain retiring baby boomers will soon be placing on Medicare's budget, shouldn't we be focusing this entitlement programme on real, life-saving treatment and equipment to serve the health needs of seniors – instead of subsidising penis pump purchases?" said Ben Domenech of the conservative Heartland Institute thinktank. "Just buy it yourself – you don't need to send the bill to your fellow Americans." Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |