Health Law May Allow Viagra Coverage for Sex Offenders
The Congressional Research Service confirmed in a memo Wednesday that rapists and sex offenders may get federally subsidized Viagra and other sexual performance enhancing drugs under the recently passed health care reform law — information that Republicans charge will haunt Democrats in upcoming elections.
I am fairly certain that the even the people who wanted this rotten health care bill, didn’t want this.
In a memo to the Oklahoma Republican, who is one of two doctors in the chamber, and provided to FoxNews.com, the CRS said there are no provisions in the new health care law “which would require health plans to limit the type of benefits that can be offered based on the plan beneficiary’s prior criminal convictions.”
“Additionally, there do not appear to be any provisions that would specifically restrict qualified health plans’ coverage of drugs prescribed to treat ED,” the memo read.
“Therefore, a convicted rapist, child molester, or other sex offender who is not incarcerated would not appear to be excluded from enrolling in a qualified health plan through an American Health Benefit Exchange in their state solely because of that conviction,” the memo added.
Coburn offered an amendment blocking this to the companion bill that reshaped parts of the health care law. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., dismissed it as a “gotcha amendment” designed to be difficult for Democrats to oppose. But the amendment failed 57-42.
So instead of looking out for victims and their rights, politics reigned over common sense. Again.
