Penis pumps cost the U.S. government's Medicare program $172 million 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 Department of Health and Human Services said Medicare, the government health insurance system for seniors, paid nearly 474,000 claims for vacuum erection systems, or VES, 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.
According to the Mayo Clinic, penis pumps are one of a few treatment options for erectile dysfunction.
(Read more: On health care fraud, spending is pound-foolish)
Government waste is a major issue in budget talks in the U.S. capital as lawmakers try to reach agreement on a $1 trillion 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 non-Medicare payers pay, the U.S. government would have saved an average of about $14.4 million 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 program on real, life-saving treatment and equipment to serve the health needs of seniors - instead of subsidizing penis pump purchases?" Ben Domenici of the Heartland Institute think tank said in an email statement.
"And to those seniors who really do want one," added Domenech, "just buy it yourself - you don't need to send the bill to your fellow Americans."
Comments
last commentI saved Y'all some money. I didn't get one. Couldn't figure out how to take it into the club and how to be discreet using it once I got it inside. :)
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^ I imagine you use the manual version – i.e. a dancer’s hand seems to work wonders for most of us :)
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Answer is simple. Deny the claims. Make the person go to the Sex Toy Store and buy his own.
YES, a hand helps too. LOL
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^^^ this is the wrong forum to ask for a hand...homo
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Most of the news reports on this seem to miss the point that such pumps are widely used, not for chronic ED, but for therapy after prostate cancer surgery. When I had my surgery the urologist recommended that I obtain a medical quality pump for use during the recovery period (about 3 months) while the nerves regenerated. I ordered one in his office and used it almost every day for several weeks. Doctors recommend the pumps to keep the penis conditioned to receive blood flow until "normal" erections returned after the several month refractory period.
I am not ashamed to say that I used my pump almost daily for several weeks and believe it accelerated my recovery after surgery. The pump cost about $500 and Blue Cross paid for most of it. I haven't used it for years but I do not apologize for having it when I needed it.
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@Otto22: "I haven't used it for years but I do not apologize for having it when I needed it."
Nor should you.
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You had a legitimate medical need Otto22. Who knows how many mentioned by Papi are legitimate.
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I use mine for a hummingbird feeder.
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