American taxpayers may be surprised to learn Medicare spends $36 million a year to help men pay for penis pumps. The vacuum-like device is a tool used to treat loss of erection problems. Following a recent uproar about Medicare covering Viagra the Daily Mail reports many doctors shifted their treatment plans to penis pumps, which are still covered by Medicare.
Medicare Investigates Fraud
Medicare payments for penis pumps have soared by more than 500 percent in the past decade. The cost of the pump is about $330, but the federal government has challenged thousands of claims for the device, believing fraud has taken place. According to ABC Action News there are several serious claims including:
- Two Florida entrepreneurs who collected more than $28,000 for 75 penis pumps purportedly sold to both male and female Medicare patients. None were ever actually shipped.
- An Illinois supplier who bought cheap sex-toy grade penis pumps from online dealers and reshipped them to Medicare patients who never asked for them, then billed Medicare at a markup rate nearly 11 times greater than what he first paid.
- Two Georgia firms the government says used improper Medicare provider numbers to bill the program for more than $3.6 million worth of penis pumps between 2003 and 2009.
Aging Baby Boomers Seek Help for ED
As the population ages, doctors expect even more men to be diagnosed with poor quality erections. While some men opt for an oral medication, others will continue to opt for a treatment that is covered by Medicare.
“When the pills first came out, they were very popular, but they are not reimbursed by most insurance or Medicare and they don’t work for everyone,’ Ed Stewart, CEO of penis pump maker Post-T-Vac reportedly said. “The fact is that the baby boomers are moving into the high-risk part of their lives for ED and they’re looking for options to maintain their sex lives.”
Tell us your thoughts. Should Medicare cover penis pumps?
