This is a perfect example of politics intersecting with reality. Men have sex, even this 92 year old has sex with his longterm partner. To Mr. King. good luck in your old age.
5
Comparing fixing knees and hips, because they aren't killers, to penis pumps is ludicrous. Likewise for reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy. A more apt comparison is found earlier in the article when it speaks to toothpaste. Surely it can be argued that good dental health saves money and, indeed, poor dental health does contribute to medical issues. But should we cover toothpaste? Brushes? How about sneakers to encourage exercise? We complain about the cost of healthcare in this country but at every turn there is lobbying effort to cover more treatments and a legislator happy to take up the cause. There should be a broader policy conversation about what medicare should cover and and whether taxpayers should be funding clear lifestyle choices.
4
My oh my we sure do have sex issues in this country. We go to war against women, other nations, our own children , sports opponents using metaphors about inflated and deflated balls. Time to grow up.
5
If love, intimacy and mutual orgasm is the goal, then intercourse is not the only way to achieve it. In fact, many women (and men) find other activities more relaxing and fulfilling, including erotic massage. An erection is not critical to amazing sex, and men can have orgasms without one. Orgasm happens in the brain.
2
A penis pump is less than one hundred dollars. If a man wants one it is certainly not a gigantic expense that he won't be able to afford. The discussion about the other very expensive options is specious. If a man needs help and a pump will work for him then it is a simple and inexpensive solution. He can order one online and nobody needs to know. The rest of the treatments don't even enter into the discussion.
6
Treatment for vaginal atrophy is one or another form of estrogen used in the vagina. Even with the very modest help of Medicare, this treatment runs about $80 - 90 a month. An estrogen pill, however, runs less than $80 a year. Want to tell me why?
6
There are at least two issues here. The elephant in the room is that there are basically two types of illness that physicians deal with:
1) Quality of life illness
2) Quantity of life illness.
As medical cost continue to climb (over $100,000 a year for cancer drugs that add at best a few months of life, $30,000 a year for biologicals for autoimmune diseases) society is going to have to make some reasoned decisions on what we are going to offer our citizens. We simply cannot afford to treat all illness with the most costly drugs at the present price structure.
The second issue is this farce about the 'free market' being the best way to allocate medical resources. What we have achieved by doing this is to shift income away from those caring for people toward those administering a system that is not working for patients. The most costly medical system in the world with mediocre results at best. Insane.
1) Quality of life illness
2) Quantity of life illness.
As medical cost continue to climb (over $100,000 a year for cancer drugs that add at best a few months of life, $30,000 a year for biologicals for autoimmune diseases) society is going to have to make some reasoned decisions on what we are going to offer our citizens. We simply cannot afford to treat all illness with the most costly drugs at the present price structure.
The second issue is this farce about the 'free market' being the best way to allocate medical resources. What we have achieved by doing this is to shift income away from those caring for people toward those administering a system that is not working for patients. The most costly medical system in the world with mediocre results at best. Insane.
11
Why would anyone care about elderly men's needs, Ask Dr Tim Hunt?
4
If gay marriage is required to be provided by states by the Equal Protection Clause, how can Medicare LEGALLY provide treatment to women whose vaginas don't work as well as they once did but not provide treatment to men whose penises don't work as well as they once did? Lawsuit time.
7
There is substantial evidence that increasing the frequency of ejaculation decreases the risk of prostate cancer. Thus, it could be argued that providing aids for erection, sex and ejaculation could reduce the risk of far more expensive prostate cancer in the population. Thus, the prudes of our country are perhaps again being penny wise and pound foolish.
7
It's just a new way for politicians to abuse some people while appealing to some others fundamental religious whackery.
10
At a time when government spending on health care continues to increase faster than inflation while people go without basic medical services, it makes sense that Medicare stop funding "lifestyle" drugs.
After all, women advocates have complained about this type of spending for years.
After all, women advocates have complained about this type of spending for years.
4
Older men and their sexual partners may be interested in knowing that sildenafil citrate (same as Viagra) is available at 20 mg doses generically and inexpensively in the U.S. This dose has been used to treat pulmonary hypertension. Cost in my area is typically $0.80-$1.50/pill and, while men would need to take 3-5 to equal a dose of Viagra, is far more affordable. This "off-label" prescribing is legal though the prescriber should alert the pharmacy of the intended use. I provide primary care to many elderly individuals and find it heartening that many continue to have an active and satisfying sex life well into their retirement years.
12
As a senior, I think it would not kill seniors to pay for some items and relieve the burden on younger taxpayers.
8
Copays are sufficient.
5
There are a few pharmacies in Canada which ship both name brand ED drugs as well as generic tablets containing the active ingredient. I have never had a problem with the pharmacy I use as well as US Customs.
The price difference is significant, anywhere from 2/3 to 1/2 cheaper. They are manufactured in England or Turkey under license from the patent holder.
Another problem that is Medicare will only pay for FDA approved manufactured products. Testosterone replacement products for men with Hypogonadism can cost $300-$600 per month. That may put a person in the "donut hole" by April or May meaning a large expenditure for all one's prescriptions. The same ingredients can be compounded in a pharmacy for less than $100 a month with FDA approved components. Despite the huge saving for Medicare and patient Medicare will not pay for them.
Sex is an important part of life for most people. It adds to the relationships they have and makes many people feel good. But Medicare would much rather pay for Prozac and other antidepressants.
The price difference is significant, anywhere from 2/3 to 1/2 cheaper. They are manufactured in England or Turkey under license from the patent holder.
Another problem that is Medicare will only pay for FDA approved manufactured products. Testosterone replacement products for men with Hypogonadism can cost $300-$600 per month. That may put a person in the "donut hole" by April or May meaning a large expenditure for all one's prescriptions. The same ingredients can be compounded in a pharmacy for less than $100 a month with FDA approved components. Despite the huge saving for Medicare and patient Medicare will not pay for them.
Sex is an important part of life for most people. It adds to the relationships they have and makes many people feel good. But Medicare would much rather pay for Prozac and other antidepressants.
6
Inexcusable to not cover hearing aids.
24
Given that so many women go through life spending a huge percentage of their income on fashion /beauty products and treatments to make themselves more desirable, I guess it's only fair that men should pony up for pills that enable them to respond...Ha!
5
Simply another case in which our elected Senators and Representatives claim to advocate small government in every area of our life...except the bedroom. Our elected officials appear to fall into the same trap--an obsession with sex and determination to somehow obliterate it or any expression of it, even between two adults committed to each other.
Creepy.
Creepy.
14
Can we talk about the REAL evil in the room?
Big pharma has increased the price of ED drugs to triple what they were five years ago. This is for a well established drug with R&D and other startup costs recovered long ago. There is absolutely NO reason a single 20mg dose of Cialis which cost $12 about five years ago should cost $37 now. $37!!!
This is straight out gouging of the public, and by a remarkable coincidence, all three manufacturers of ED drugs raised their prices by almost exactly the same amount. Some might suspect anti-trust collusion and price fixing was involved.
If we had an FDA and FTC that were not, ironically, impotent, this sort of thing would not be allowed to happen.
Big pharma has increased the price of ED drugs to triple what they were five years ago. This is for a well established drug with R&D and other startup costs recovered long ago. There is absolutely NO reason a single 20mg dose of Cialis which cost $12 about five years ago should cost $37 now. $37!!!
This is straight out gouging of the public, and by a remarkable coincidence, all three manufacturers of ED drugs raised their prices by almost exactly the same amount. Some might suspect anti-trust collusion and price fixing was involved.
If we had an FDA and FTC that were not, ironically, impotent, this sort of thing would not be allowed to happen.
37
the R&D costs have already been recouped many times over.
7
What a disgrace, to raise the price -- triple it, as a matter of fact -- over time. You'd think the profits had to be great, and yet...more! Always more! I'm not against the pharmaceutical companies making money, good money. God knows they already do, or they wouldn't be so financially well regarded.
But when will someone, on our side, the average folks, step in and say 'enough is enough?'
I'm beginning to think it won't be any time soon.
There's just too much money floating around Washington, and the super-pacs this year are a disgrace, calling themselves 'social welfare' organizations rather than arms of the campaigns themselves. So, no, it's not exactly fertile ground for reform, is it.
But, now even a rescue inhaler of Albuterol is no longer provided by my insurer more than one every ninety days. One!
Why? Because the cost of these products, and they are varied, which allows the pharma companies to re-patent and claim novelty, has gone up some 3 to 6 times!
So, I'm not being offered "better than rescue inhaler" treatment. I'm being denied treatment, by my insurer, because Pharma needs more cash.
I'm inclined to maybe disagree on that point.
But when will someone, on our side, the average folks, step in and say 'enough is enough?'
I'm beginning to think it won't be any time soon.
There's just too much money floating around Washington, and the super-pacs this year are a disgrace, calling themselves 'social welfare' organizations rather than arms of the campaigns themselves. So, no, it's not exactly fertile ground for reform, is it.
But, now even a rescue inhaler of Albuterol is no longer provided by my insurer more than one every ninety days. One!
Why? Because the cost of these products, and they are varied, which allows the pharma companies to re-patent and claim novelty, has gone up some 3 to 6 times!
So, I'm not being offered "better than rescue inhaler" treatment. I'm being denied treatment, by my insurer, because Pharma needs more cash.
I'm inclined to maybe disagree on that point.
9
There are a few pharmacies in Canada which ship both name brand ED drugs as well as generic tablets containing the active ingredient. I have never had a problem with the pharmacy I use as well as US Customs.
The price difference is significant, anywhere from 2/3 to 1/2 cheaper. They are manufactured in England or Turkey under license from the patent holder.
Another problem that is Medicare will only pay for FDA approved manufactured products. Testosterone replacement products for men with Hypogonadism can cost $300-$600 per month. That may put a person in the "donut hole" by April or May meaning a large expenditure for all one's prescriptions. The same ingredients can be compounded in a pharmacy for less than $100 a month with FDA approved components. Despite the huge saving for Medicare and patient Medicare will not pay for them.
Sex is an important part of life for most people. It adds to the relationships they have and makes many people feel good. But Medicare would much rather pay for Prozac and other antidepressants.
The price difference is significant, anywhere from 2/3 to 1/2 cheaper. They are manufactured in England or Turkey under license from the patent holder.
Another problem that is Medicare will only pay for FDA approved manufactured products. Testosterone replacement products for men with Hypogonadism can cost $300-$600 per month. That may put a person in the "donut hole" by April or May meaning a large expenditure for all one's prescriptions. The same ingredients can be compounded in a pharmacy for less than $100 a month with FDA approved components. Despite the huge saving for Medicare and patient Medicare will not pay for them.
Sex is an important part of life for most people. It adds to the relationships they have and makes many people feel good. But Medicare would much rather pay for Prozac and other antidepressants.
1
In the US, guns are okay, but sex is taboo.
5
Yup, that pretty much covers it.
Congress should let the FDA negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies so that Medicare, Medicaid, and the private insurers can afford to subsidize the cost of the best medicines for all of us. NIH pays for the research, and university scientists do the research. The big pharmaceutical companies buy promising start-up companies, liquidate the research, test the drugs, and market them. The FDA should set the prices so that the big drug companies recoup their testing and their (reduced) marketing expenses and make a small profit. We are being fleeced. Most of us are doing without needed medicine. Some of us are dying; others are going broke.
5
Since Medicare is a transfer payment from the young(er) to the old, my concern is that the young(er) are being forced to provide the old better health care insurance than they can afford for themselves. Does every worker who now pays into the system have coverage that provides these devices at little or no extra cost?
I thought Medicare was a trust that workers paid into, because I noticed that they've been taking it out of my paycheck for about 48 years or so. And it went up, the withholding I mean, dramatically under reagan, who "saved" the system, and it's now solvent until at least 2035.
I understand at that point it won't be "broke" but will not have all the money it needs to meet the obligations fully, meaning maybe the system will have means testing? That would extend it far beyond when you would need it.
You do know the above are facts, right? That Fox news and amradio are not right when they stoke anger at the aged, as if their benefits were a direct theft from you.
And framing it as "theft" is interesting, don't you think? After all, is it a 'transfer of wealth' when you drive on roads that those old people built (the ones stealing your money, in your view), that highway system built in the 50's in particular, or when you use the sewer systems and the telephone lines, and well, did you not derive a benefit from those things?
Perhaps a shared liability and shared responsibility are a better way of looking at a cooperative society, instead of a zero-sum game that I'm sure the professor of a Beautiful Mind would tell you, is a losing game.
I understand at that point it won't be "broke" but will not have all the money it needs to meet the obligations fully, meaning maybe the system will have means testing? That would extend it far beyond when you would need it.
You do know the above are facts, right? That Fox news and amradio are not right when they stoke anger at the aged, as if their benefits were a direct theft from you.
And framing it as "theft" is interesting, don't you think? After all, is it a 'transfer of wealth' when you drive on roads that those old people built (the ones stealing your money, in your view), that highway system built in the 50's in particular, or when you use the sewer systems and the telephone lines, and well, did you not derive a benefit from those things?
Perhaps a shared liability and shared responsibility are a better way of looking at a cooperative society, instead of a zero-sum game that I'm sure the professor of a Beautiful Mind would tell you, is a losing game.
4
Dear Richard, My opinion is that you have a beautiful mind. Best wishes to you!
3
Don't forget that Medicare is paid for by the people on SSI. My insurance costs total about $200 a month. My husbands, $300. We are retired, we volunteer our services when and where they are wanted and needed, and we have, as they say, "paid our dues." I don't complain about the $500 a month healthy insurance. But I have to budget for it, since I'm on a small fixed income. And I am really really tired of being considered the recipient of the "gift" of health insurance. We pay. We continue to pay. Go away, young coots.
1
Not all of them want treatment, of course. “A large proportion of older men have lost sexual interest, don’t have a partner, or have other illnesses that preclude sexual activity,” Dr. Sharlip said.
-------------------------------
My workaround is posting comments daily on sundry NYT articles. Better than sex for someone 65, if I remember correctly.
-------------------------------
My workaround is posting comments daily on sundry NYT articles. Better than sex for someone 65, if I remember correctly.
2
You, too? My doctor recommended it. Said "as for the other thing..." and looked at his watch.
It was time to go, apparently.
It was time to go, apparently.
I am a happily married sexually active senior. I need glasses and hearing aids. Again I say, Go away, old coot!
1
Funny I am a liberal democrat. But I have no problem telling someone they have to pay for their own pump. Seriously do we expect the taxpayer / Government to pay for every single thing we need in life?
4
You're out synch with your fellow Liberal Democrats. Paying for everything is the plan for control of all things in a citizen's life.
1
Once again, this brings up the issue of why Medicare doesn't ask for competitive bids on the medications it covers. I guess the answer is simple: our legislators in Washington are in the pocket of Big Pharma.
10
@Frank Baudino
Absolutely correct! Drug prices in the US are much higher than in other countries, solely because our government doesn't protect its citizens the way other countries protect theirs.
Absolutely correct! Drug prices in the US are much higher than in other countries, solely because our government doesn't protect its citizens the way other countries protect theirs.
1
Contrary to Congressman Crenshaw's assertion, organizations representing urologists, the AACU in particular, opposed the budgetary shell game that left millions of men without an effective and affordable way to manage erectile dysfunction. See: http://bit.ly/1SCD0F2
3
I suggest checking again about Medicare and their hormones--things have changed. I'm not sure if it's total or not but hormone replacement has become self-pay even when it's being done for menopause symptom relief.
Sex tax rebates:
Women of childbearing years should obtain a tax refund to pay for monthly hygienic supplies associated with monthly cycle. Men in their elder years should receive a tax credit to purchase affordable cost containment erectile pumps as well as erectile medications. The tax credit would allow the purchase of devices and medications from for example Canada where the medications are at this time a quarter of the price.
Women of childbearing years should obtain a tax refund to pay for monthly hygienic supplies associated with monthly cycle. Men in their elder years should receive a tax credit to purchase affordable cost containment erectile pumps as well as erectile medications. The tax credit would allow the purchase of devices and medications from for example Canada where the medications are at this time a quarter of the price.
4
Viagra is now available in Canada as a generic at very reasonable prices. That is an alternative for Medicare patients, like me and my wife of 43 years, wishing to continue enthusiastic lovemaking as long as we can.
11
Medicare continues to be reactive - paying for knees and hips as opposed to investing in very detailed primary care prevention. If we could control heart disease and diabetes, then the expense of erectile dysfunction drugs would decrease immensely as well as the desire for vacuum erection devices. Sexual Health is a part of Overall Health and should not be ignored. By Medicare emphasizing better primary care they would be investing in the whole person.
5
I'd blame Republicans for every dollar wasted in Medicare which is something over $200,000,000,000. Democrats are so fiscally responsible they each should receive $10,000 from the government. As for erectile dysfunction, whatever, it is too embarrassing to discuss.
2
We oughta be covering hearing aids and dental care, as well as pumps and Viagra.
21
I find myself appalled at the apparent ignorance about men's health exhibited by this op-ed and most of the comments following.
I am not a doctor or scientist, but I have read enough medical literature to know that ED is connected to other serious health problems, such as coronary artery disease and other vascular issues. Inability to have an erection is much more than just about whether a man is able to enjoy sexual pleasure or not. It is an indicator of risk for a heart attack or stroke! Why don't those right wing fundamentalist puritanical perverts in Congress consult with some knowledgeable physicians, and while they're at it, stay out of America's bedrooms! ED is a health issue, not a sex issue!
I am not a doctor or scientist, but I have read enough medical literature to know that ED is connected to other serious health problems, such as coronary artery disease and other vascular issues. Inability to have an erection is much more than just about whether a man is able to enjoy sexual pleasure or not. It is an indicator of risk for a heart attack or stroke! Why don't those right wing fundamentalist puritanical perverts in Congress consult with some knowledgeable physicians, and while they're at it, stay out of America's bedrooms! ED is a health issue, not a sex issue!
4
1. Most men who go on a low fat, plant based diet pleasantly find that their "flag rises" once again... despite age. If plaque is coating or blocking arteries in other parts of the body, there will be a domino effect in other parts of the body (i.e. the penis).
2. If Medicare believes that overall health is important to well-being, they should focus on dental care for patients. There is a direct correlation between dental health and overall health. Dental health is crucial to overall health.
It is imperative that our country begin to focus on better diets and health care earlier in life...so they not only live long ....but, those years will be quality years...including a good sex life.
2. If Medicare believes that overall health is important to well-being, they should focus on dental care for patients. There is a direct correlation between dental health and overall health. Dental health is crucial to overall health.
It is imperative that our country begin to focus on better diets and health care earlier in life...so they not only live long ....but, those years will be quality years...including a good sex life.
1
I am glad you brought up the cost of having sex for older women. Vaginal dryness after menopause causes severe pain during intercourse making it not worth it. The cost of a vaginal cream to help with the symptoms for someone with insurance is $250 a month or $3,000 per year, depending on your plan's deductible. If to that you add your husband's uncovered Cialis treatment for ED at $38 per pill, say at a rate of 4 pills per month totaling $152, we are talking about $400 for a middle age couple to enjoy sex once a week or $4,800 a year. Since when was sex something that is not considered part of a normal person's life, regardless of their age, just like sleeping or urinating? And, don't we have sleeping pills and all kinds of medicines to treat urinary disorders? Couldn't our congressmen tell us to drink three glasses of vodka to help us sleep better and wear diapers so we don't wet our pants? That would work, wouldn't it? Who needs medication?!
4
When that time comes in later age, and Mr. King has trouble "getting it up," I can bet there will be a change to Medicare coverage in that area.
4
"Taking benefits from one vulnerable population to bankroll benefits for another has not exactly set off a furor."
Equating male sexual dysfunction with being disabled is wrong. One is truly a "vulnerable population," but men without erections? "Vulnerable"? Please.
Before Medicare restores subsidies for discretionary pleasures, I'd like to see even basic coverage for vision, hearing, and dental care. Those are true medical necessities, but not in Medicare's eyes.
Equating male sexual dysfunction with being disabled is wrong. One is truly a "vulnerable population," but men without erections? "Vulnerable"? Please.
Before Medicare restores subsidies for discretionary pleasures, I'd like to see even basic coverage for vision, hearing, and dental care. Those are true medical necessities, but not in Medicare's eyes.
8
Great illustration!
3
So, its OK for young men & women to have sex and free abortions on the public dime (thanks to leftist zealots) and old people can't have sex on the public dime (thanks to rightist zealots), even though the likelihood of needing abortion afterward is pretty much zero. This just goes to show how insane this country has become. There is nothing wrong with being conservative or liberal. I sometimes think that independents have it right as the balance of power between the two. Then, the fog clears and I realize that the independents rallied to give us Carter, Clinton, Bush2, and Obama (the four worst Presidents in the 20th/21st (so far) Centuries (and I will admit that I voted for Carter and Bush 2).
Its time to start all over and vote out every incumbent up for reelection in Washington. That would certainly make the politicians wake up and realize that government has no rights over the citizenry without the express permission of the people (maybe then we would get term limits imposed). The fact that we keep voting in idiots who are looking for a career and not someone who is truly a public servant is what gets us (& keeps us) in this mess.
Come on common sense America, wake up and take back this country. The silent majority of reason has stood by too long. There needs to a solid third voting block in congress. This is the only way we are going to be able to overcome the zealotry in our American political system.
Its time to start all over and vote out every incumbent up for reelection in Washington. That would certainly make the politicians wake up and realize that government has no rights over the citizenry without the express permission of the people (maybe then we would get term limits imposed). The fact that we keep voting in idiots who are looking for a career and not someone who is truly a public servant is what gets us (& keeps us) in this mess.
Come on common sense America, wake up and take back this country. The silent majority of reason has stood by too long. There needs to a solid third voting block in congress. This is the only way we are going to be able to overcome the zealotry in our American political system.
2
With costs of medical care increasing the government may have to restrict its payments to treating illnesses and no longer cover lifestyle modifications. Yes, you can make a connection between sexual activity and health just as you can with some forms of wine. But we don't ask the government to pay the liquor bills either.
1
They broke my husband "curing" him of prostate cancer, and now they refuse coverage that might make him a whole man again. Oh, and they've wrecked my life too. Thank you compassionate conservatives.
5
I read Steven Rattner's "We're Making Life Too Hard for Millenials" and now reading this.
Hard for me to sympathize at all. Why should I, as a millennial, subsidize baby boomer's sexual health after they are considered to be the most prosperous, received greatest economic benefits, and perhaps most irresponsible, generation the country has had?
I say, cut out erection pumps. And cut more. Cut social security, cut Medicare, but leave Medicaid, cut programs that I won't see when I retire. Young people have no chance of seeing any of the entitlement social programs for retirees. The fact that baby boomers are complaining about erection pumps not being covered and not about the prospects for the young people's and overall everyone's future really speaks to your generation's insanity and not mine.
If us millennials are going to die suffering with nothing in retirement, at least I'd like to make it less painful by cutting for baby boomers. I work hard, save what I can, get insulted by older people saying how lazy, narcissistic, spoiled we are even though we work so hard, do everything you say. At least, we should suffer together and not drowned in debt over erection pumps. Paying for these devices helps takes away future families and hope. This is last on our national priorities. Millennials see the world differently. We're more practical, and concerned about real matters. Cut this nonsense out. I'll vote Republican if I have to.
Hard for me to sympathize at all. Why should I, as a millennial, subsidize baby boomer's sexual health after they are considered to be the most prosperous, received greatest economic benefits, and perhaps most irresponsible, generation the country has had?
I say, cut out erection pumps. And cut more. Cut social security, cut Medicare, but leave Medicaid, cut programs that I won't see when I retire. Young people have no chance of seeing any of the entitlement social programs for retirees. The fact that baby boomers are complaining about erection pumps not being covered and not about the prospects for the young people's and overall everyone's future really speaks to your generation's insanity and not mine.
If us millennials are going to die suffering with nothing in retirement, at least I'd like to make it less painful by cutting for baby boomers. I work hard, save what I can, get insulted by older people saying how lazy, narcissistic, spoiled we are even though we work so hard, do everything you say. At least, we should suffer together and not drowned in debt over erection pumps. Paying for these devices helps takes away future families and hope. This is last on our national priorities. Millennials see the world differently. We're more practical, and concerned about real matters. Cut this nonsense out. I'll vote Republican if I have to.
1
"The Social Security won't be around when I retire" meme, is nonsense. Scare tactics. It's solvent until 2035. Then, it will have a shortfall, but won't be "broke," as some think. It will have to reduce payments, or find another way....maybe means testing?
If you had means testing as a policy platform, then Social Security would be there for you beyond 2070, easily.
See? Scare tactics are just that...scare tactics. And less than serious politically motivated 'bestsellers' that we now enjoy on our reading lists? Perhaps should be perused with a grain of salt.
Are baby boomers the most self-infatuated group of draft-dodging Cheneyesque monsters your book makes them out to be, a generation that is slapped by the "Greatest Generation" books that in a not too unsubtle fashion, judge baby boomers unfavorably?
Why, yes!
We had a social movement in the 60's, but once the post-Watergate, post-Vietnam victory party called Saturday Night Live had its Halcyon year (or two), it was all downhill in terms of social commitment. They presided over the off loading of our industries and the global labor pool fiasco that has meant great stock market prices, for the companies, while workers tank, in Bangladesh, and here.
But, heh, what's a little spilt milk?
(the last line, is meant ironically...as impetus for an occupy-like movement that maybe millennials, whomever that is supposed to be, Americans, will make policy proposals that make sense in a rational, modern democratic world)
If you had means testing as a policy platform, then Social Security would be there for you beyond 2070, easily.
See? Scare tactics are just that...scare tactics. And less than serious politically motivated 'bestsellers' that we now enjoy on our reading lists? Perhaps should be perused with a grain of salt.
Are baby boomers the most self-infatuated group of draft-dodging Cheneyesque monsters your book makes them out to be, a generation that is slapped by the "Greatest Generation" books that in a not too unsubtle fashion, judge baby boomers unfavorably?
Why, yes!
We had a social movement in the 60's, but once the post-Watergate, post-Vietnam victory party called Saturday Night Live had its Halcyon year (or two), it was all downhill in terms of social commitment. They presided over the off loading of our industries and the global labor pool fiasco that has meant great stock market prices, for the companies, while workers tank, in Bangladesh, and here.
But, heh, what's a little spilt milk?
(the last line, is meant ironically...as impetus for an occupy-like movement that maybe millennials, whomever that is supposed to be, Americans, will make policy proposals that make sense in a rational, modern democratic world)
people don't realize that sexuality goes on and on as if to never stop creation of more people and survival of humans.
Medicare should help with hearing aid , dental, and sexual medication in that order.
Medicare should help with hearing aid , dental, and sexual medication in that order.
1
Dental care is beginning to show in the country...some are movie-star veneered, implanted and buffed to luminosity. Some ask, rightly, "Can Americans' teeth possibly get any whiter...?"
But look around a little, in working class neighborhoods, and the retired have dental health reminiscent of what we used to see from the Eastern Bloc countries in the Olympics. They had wildly powerful, beautiful athletes, but when they smiled, it was something startling...
What can matter more to esteem than the face with which we appear to others each day in our world?
But look around a little, in working class neighborhoods, and the retired have dental health reminiscent of what we used to see from the Eastern Bloc countries in the Olympics. They had wildly powerful, beautiful athletes, but when they smiled, it was something startling...
What can matter more to esteem than the face with which we appear to others each day in our world?
2
And vision exams!
2
This is the most absurd waste of taxpayers dollars imaginable. As one of these "older" men, I find it ludicrous that taxpayers should pay for my pleasure. Why stop with my sex life, how about greens fees?
10
Is that all sex is: pleasure?
Is there anything more to sharing that with another person you love, have lived with maybe for many years, have shared the very marrow of your life, its suffering and joys?
If there is something more than simply "relief," or catharsis of a pleasure impulse, as you seem to frame it, then isn't the loss of sexual activity a significant human loss? One that affects everything in a person's life: their outlook, their happiness, their sense of fulfillment?
By parking sex next to the putting greens, you've made an interesting comment on something, but I don't think it's about the reasonableness of treatment or not.
Is there anything more to sharing that with another person you love, have lived with maybe for many years, have shared the very marrow of your life, its suffering and joys?
If there is something more than simply "relief," or catharsis of a pleasure impulse, as you seem to frame it, then isn't the loss of sexual activity a significant human loss? One that affects everything in a person's life: their outlook, their happiness, their sense of fulfillment?
By parking sex next to the putting greens, you've made an interesting comment on something, but I don't think it's about the reasonableness of treatment or not.
2
No they won't pay your greens fees, but if you have a bad back or a bad shoulder or whatever that interferes with your golf game you will be covered for the treatments and medications needed to alleviate those problems. Medicare generally pays for treatments for bodily dysfunction. It's really small minded of you to decide that just because you're not getting any no one else should either.
1
I think he's let us in on his earlier priority. Golf is better than sex.
2
I'm reminded of this saying: We the unwilling, led by the unknowing, have done so much for so long with so little that we can now do anything with nothing. That applies to almost every area of our lives.
6
Please note that Medicare's lack coverage for male sexual dysfunction is simply another cynical right-wing dog whistle to rally its base: if the GOP actually cared about cost-containment, they would exclude much outrageously useless medical "care". Consider Medicare's reimbursement for pointless genetic testing of folks recruited by biotechnicians showing up at at senior centers. After a painless cheek swab the "patients" receive a free ice cream bar; Medicare is then bilked thousands of dollars for the subsequent analysis, which serves absolutely no medical purpose whatsoever, since the patients are well past child-bearing age....
5
Having treated a number of geriatric patients with sexual dysfunction, and reviewed relevant research, I can attest to the fact that sexual desire continues into one's 90s. The exertion of sex and increasing tendency toward impotence may be an inhibiting factor, especially for males, but no, Dr. Sharlip, "a large proportion" of older adults have not lost sexual interest. Moreover, the fact that many people in their late 70s or 80s are minus a sexually functioning partner, due to death or illness, certainly skews the statistics quoted. Would anyone argue that healthy sexually men in their 60s and 70s are less deserving of medical assistance to achieve a healthy intimacy with their partners than those in their 40's and 50's? Yes, "Grandpa wants"-- and deserves-- an erection, especially if Grandma is alive and well! And if one even accepts the idea that libido decreases with age, the question becomes: if so few are demanding it, why can Medicare not afford to fund it?
17
The ancient Greeks were wonderful.
They were the first to create a viable Social Security and Health system for old people.
When a citizen reached 60 they were loaded on a cart, then taken at night to the middle of a forest filled with wild animals, then put on the ground, as the empty cart was taken back to the city.
Wonder if the government might bring it back.
A lot better than "death panels."
We should paraphrase the ancient Trojan saying,
"Beware of Greeks bearing gifts" to
"Beware of Obama (or liberals) bearing gifts."
1
"Erectile dysfunction" (aka impotence) used to be a joke, or a whole series of jokes. Now it's a multibillion dollar industry (which is the real joke).
3
No, impotence was never, ever a joke -except to those ignorant people with an infantile sense of humor who have neither the maturity nor the humanity to empathize with the needs and lives of others. Someday the "joke" may be on you and then we'll see who is laughing.
As a member of the Medicare crowd, I can say that at last we can sympathize with those who want women's birth control covered. While men have their ED drugs covered; woman do not get equal treatment, by having their birth control covered. Why do you suppose that this is the case? Religious groups pretend to be concerned about Planned Parenthood's abortion stance; yet can't seen to see that covering birth control, would eliminate this problem. Those of us in Healthcare, know that it is all Smoke and Mirrors. Men control big Pharma and the insurance groups; while woman must wait their turn to be heard. If you want your ED problems solved, get on the bandwagon for equal coverage of birth control in all insurance plans.
10
You have the facts backwards.
Birthcontrol is covered 100% by health insurance by federal law. It is very rare for ED treatments to be covered at all.
Birthcontrol is covered 100% by health insurance by federal law. It is very rare for ED treatments to be covered at all.
I have had a few patients try these overpriced contraptions, but none stuck with it. I am sure they have helped someone have sex, but it mostly just helps hucksters get rich on the public dime. Good riddance.
9
We are 67 and 71 and have been married for 4 decades. We feel that people rush into artificial solutions too soon and are so tired of seeing commercials for Cialis and Viagra. For the long and happily connected patience and perhaps a bit of psychology works wonders. There is no need to worry if the penis is slower or softer, this just gives the woman more time to become aroused. A woman can thus redefine for a man what is important in bed.
16
easier said than done - for others, but not for you.
And if it stays softer then what? It's OK as long as you get what you want?
Hasn't happened yet. We have fun trying different positions. If the guy is not able to ejaculate is when we would turn to other options.
So - why does the government cover medical problems and diseases that result from smoking? From not exercising? From a bad diet? Why should I pay to treat someone's emphysema, heart disease or cancer, if we know these issues were caused by smoking cigarettes? Sex is normal, and good for your emotional health....but smoking? Even Don Draper knew it was a bad idea to smoke.
10
The 77-year-old men really needs a vacuum erection device? We have a lots of people in need who receive Medicare. Federal spending on all social programs is about 33% of all Federal budget. We have become a Welfare State.
1
I believe that federal spending on social programs exceeds 71% of the total federal budget and rising. These programs are clearly unsustainable and must be significantly reduced before the federal government will not have any money to provide what is really important - our national security, law enforcement and infrastructure such as roads, bridges, airports, railways, etc.
What is clearly unsustainable are taxpayer subsidies to the rich; bail-outs to the banks and the auto companies as well as subsidies to oil; to agriculture; to tobacco. Doctors, medical laboratories, nursing homes, and bill Medicare and Medicaid for millions of dollars of services to non-existent patients for non-existent illnesses or problems. The ridiculous cost of health care in this country provided by insurers who are in the business of "health care prevention"---these, RGV are the unsustainables. Get rid of for-profit health insurances companies and expand low cost (3% admin. cost) Medicare to everyone.
You recheck your numbers, "defense" eats up most of it (60% or more, as I remember, along with debt servicing.
2
I remember--back in days of debate BEFORE the Affordable Care Act passed, the collective indignation that was dumped on the head of Alan Grayson, Representative from Florida, when he denounced the Republicans' approach to health care financinig as "Hurry up and die."
This is just a blue-nosed demonstration of the truth of Grayson's statement--if you're old and of modest means, the GOP's only interest in you is frightening you into voting for them.
This is just a blue-nosed demonstration of the truth of Grayson's statement--if you're old and of modest means, the GOP's only interest in you is frightening you into voting for them.
10
a) The government needs to start negotiating drug prices for Medicare. We in the U.S. pay much more for the same drug sold elsewhere.
b). Republicans are obsessed with being up in everyone's sexual business. What a bunch of repressed perverts!
b). Republicans are obsessed with being up in everyone's sexual business. What a bunch of repressed perverts!
39
It sure makes you wonder about the voters who populate their districts.
The staggering ignorance of this legislation is matched by the lack of research by the author of the essay. The options aren't pills or pump. They're pills, easy and painless self-injection into the penis before sex, and pump. A simple phone call to Dr. Joseph Alukal, an expert in the field of ED at the NYU Langone Medical Center, would have provided the information so many men need to know. Simply, a small insulin-size vial of liquid is kept refrigerated. Syringes are provided that are as tiny as the sort used by dermatologists when they work on women's faces to drain zits. It only takes one lesson to learn to apply the injection which works extremely well in about 15 minutes. So seeing an ED doctor offers a range of options for a man to choose from, all of which are important for overall health. How did it come to be that lunatic right wing parasites in Congress invaded our bedrooms and decided whether we can have sex? I wonder if there is a connection between this law and the fact that a reported 77% of Americans who are Christians actually pray with their medical doctors? And medical schools are teaching students, Mount Sinai in Manhattan is one, to engage patients on the subject of religion and discuss it with them. This nation has great and wise religious leaders. Doctors are scientists. Let's let the doctors help people have sex once the religious counselors, or no religious counselors for those who wish none, have been consulted.
8
Mr. Cooper, the self-injection method you refer to is not covered by Medicare, my urology experts tell me. So the "range of options" for Medicare recipients with ED doesn't exist. Only penile implant surgery is covered, and while it is quite effective, it's the most expensive treatment and presents the risks of any surgical procedure.
1
The "lunatic right wing parasites" didn't invade your bedroom and decide anything. They prefer that your private life be your private life, funded by your own private dollars.
The unfortunate consequence of government subsidized anything is that the price goes up when Uncle Sam foots the bill. It is economical to insure against catastrophe, not to offload the costs of every little thing to some third party or some single payer.
The unfortunate consequence of government subsidized anything is that the price goes up when Uncle Sam foots the bill. It is economical to insure against catastrophe, not to offload the costs of every little thing to some third party or some single payer.
1
$38 for Viagra? It used to be $10, didn't it? I guess the market is bearing a lot these days.
Incidentally, such drugs do not work at all for many after a radical prostatectomy - pumps or implants are required in those cases.
To those who choose to "go gentle into that good night", do so by all means, but please don't cavil at those who choose to revel lustily to the end!
Incidentally, such drugs do not work at all for many after a radical prostatectomy - pumps or implants are required in those cases.
To those who choose to "go gentle into that good night", do so by all means, but please don't cavil at those who choose to revel lustily to the end!
10
OK.. here's the deal....while it is sad that it's not a covered benefit anymore.. pumps can be bought from the store! and usually at a much less cost than their copay would be. I used to work at a very tasteful adult store, the pumps started at $14.99 on up, and worked the exact same way.. actually, the pumps my employer (DME) stocked, were the same ones I sold many of when I worked at the adult store. I actually had urology patients referred to our store because they knew the pumps worked well.. and were cheaper!
12
This should be an Editor's Pick!
To pay for the same functionality via Medicare costs more in administrative overhead than the shelf price. Only those who profit from bureaucracy and red tape would prefer a return to the government pay in excess of 10X the price.
To pay for the same functionality via Medicare costs more in administrative overhead than the shelf price. Only those who profit from bureaucracy and red tape would prefer a return to the government pay in excess of 10X the price.
At that price, it makes perfect sense why Medicare should not cover it. The administrative overhead eclipses the price of the device.
I sighed and I laughed reading this article, thanks to you, Paula Span, your research and information is important and you quotes like: "Sex never dies," is very beautiful and so true, thankfully. If the medical insurers will not cover the erectile dysfunction device and or Viagra, what can be done? I wish I could offer some suggestions but the only one that comes to mind is the calculate the device and or monthly costs for the blue pill into your monthly/yearly budget, and or save up for it. No reason in the world anyone male or female should go without the joy of life, in our country especially, we can find a way to solve the problem. I laughed at some comments, not the info on vaginal atrophy and male dysfunctions were are no joke or laughing matter. Maybe generics will emerge that will be less costly, or a more affordable pumps for the guys? Entrepreneurs could be working on this right now for all anyone knows. Taxpayers not wanting to "foot the bill" and pay for "Grandpa's Viagra," forgive me, but I did laugh when I read that. So sure, Steve King will able to afford a pump and or blue pills when the time comes for him to have to, and good for him. Grandpa and Grandma may have to put something a little more raunchy on their wish list for Christmas than say a stocking cap, but so be it. Americans can and do deal with a whole lot more than Christmas/Chanukah gifts for the sake of the joy of life, so never too early for any of us to start writing up a wish list.
3
Didn't I see that Medicare now covers sex changes for transgenders? They should at least cover erectile dysfunction medications etc if this is true. Medicare doesn't cover lots of things....like skin stuff, unless it is skin cancer. Ho hum...
6
This is not a medical necessity. As a people we have become whiny losers and the future of our race is doomed if we continue on this path. Save up money and take some responsibility for yourself. If you can't afford it that's your problem.
5
Once again I would like to thank Paula Span for her respectful treatment of both men's health and sexual health.
7
If all the people who support this ridiculous Medicare decision were in their 60's, 70's or 80's, I think they'd look at the situation differently. Older people still enjoy the intimacy of sex. It's like, "Eww, my grandparents are having sex?!" When was the last time there was a movie or TV show where they show older adults really "making out" or having sex? It seems our society has co-opted sex for only those with young and beautiful bodies. God forbid we should have to see a few wrinkles during video or movie while the participants enjoy sex. Please let these men have a pump, not matter what their financial status is.
10
After Medicare covers hearing aids and dental care, let's talk about sex life enhancements. Healthy teeth, hearing, and eyes are not "luxury items" we can do without at any age. A disgrace that they're not covered completely. When are we gonna get with it?
22
1) "Viagra...has a wholesale price of $38 per pill". Surely, this can't be correct.
2) Just about any drug can be considered a "life style" drug: statin for those who have a "life style" of a rich high cholesterol diet, or drugs for the heart, for those who lead a sedentary "life style", etc, etc. So why discriminate against only sexual "life styles"?
2) Just about any drug can be considered a "life style" drug: statin for those who have a "life style" of a rich high cholesterol diet, or drugs for the heart, for those who lead a sedentary "life style", etc, etc. So why discriminate against only sexual "life styles"?
10
$38/pill IS correct. Ask your pharmacist. it is also true that it used to be $10. This represents a HUGE increase in profit for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals that holds the patent on Viagra. It will be interesting to see if any generic alternatives appear on the market in 2017 when Pfizer's patent runs out.
If we could sneak a body cam onto every politician for 24 hours a day, 365 a year, can you imagine (aside from pure boredom, anyways) what we might see some of them fumbling with late at night? At least we all know for darn sure that, if it's their speeches, you can bet their spouses are all sound asleep.
the article makes no mention of medicaid which is aid for the poor. sometimes medicaid recipients receive free health benefits which medicare recipients do not receive.
4
Another article on erectile dysfunction and so many comments from sexist women who trivialize what men need despite the fact that:
1. Women spend billions on breast enlargement and other forms of cosmetic surgery to soothe THEIR egos
2. We spend ten times as much on women's health compare to that of men.
Just once, ladies: step back from sexist feminism and "womanalysis" and LISTEN to men. You have it made yet you deny men.
1. Women spend billions on breast enlargement and other forms of cosmetic surgery to soothe THEIR egos
2. We spend ten times as much on women's health compare to that of men.
Just once, ladies: step back from sexist feminism and "womanalysis" and LISTEN to men. You have it made yet you deny men.
2
I'm sorry but are you under the impression that these policy changes were spearheaded by WOMEN?
8
Perhaps you should remember that it was a man who led the charge against "Grandpa's Viagra."
First of all, Medicare should be empowered to negotiate lower prices, the same as every other government health care agency in the world. Without that power, its like Medicare is wearing a sign on its back, inviting big pharma to "kick me".
Second, shouldn't Viagra be going generic soon?
Second, shouldn't Viagra be going generic soon?
15
My attitude, at age 73, is: I'm old. It is part of the territory. Keep your pills and mechanical gadgets to yourselves.
6
That's right. You're old. Just give up. That's your choice, not mine.
So, how do civilized countries, like Canada, France and England, handle this issue?
7
They ask the Germans, who lecture them on the benefits of frugality and hard work, then tell 'em it's all their own fault.
Is this real? How about accepting that you grow old and certain aspects of life belong to youth only.
2
You must still be in your teens.
The fact that Medicare can't negotiate drug prices is outrageous. Big Pharma has recently jacked up prices on many common medications by 200 to 1000%.
Hospitals, so many no longer non-profit, charge exorbitant fees these days.
What Medicare pays for is less an issue than that unlike other countries it can't control how much it pays for those things it must pay for.
Hospitals, so many no longer non-profit, charge exorbitant fees these days.
What Medicare pays for is less an issue than that unlike other countries it can't control how much it pays for those things it must pay for.
12
Dr. Smith: "We fix knees and hips and they're not killers." That's both absurd and wrong. Wrecked knees and hips DO kill. One fall, and you might easily be done for. Worn-out knees and hips will severely limit mobility, and that will lead to reduced quality of life, which in turn will lead to more sedentary or isolating behaviors -- all to preserve safety. But add all that up, and poorly functioning knees and hips absolutely do kill.
11
Speaking as a man in my 50's, who cares?
No, medicare should most certainly not subsidize sex for old people.
If you've got it, and you want to use it, good for you.
If you don't, move on.
No one is entitled to an erection.
No, medicare should most certainly not subsidize sex for old people.
If you've got it, and you want to use it, good for you.
If you don't, move on.
No one is entitled to an erection.
7
Nor ought anyone be entitled to have heart surgery just because they want to get a few more years of social security.
Once we've ensured that every child in this country is not homeless, doesn't go to bed hungry and enjoys the benefit of a solid public school education, I'll start worrying about whether or not elderly men can achieve erections. If my views are "antiquated," I can live with that. To me, it's a matter of priorities.
4
Yessir, we can COUNT on folks like Steve King makng sure all the savings will go to poor, hungry kids. If you don't believe me, just ask him how he votes on poverty issues!
I have some news for you. It isn't isn't just about "elderly men". Prostate Cancer and tumors of the Pituitary and Hypothalamus and other ailments that affect men's sexual health also affect young men too.
A decision on what the public is expected to pay for has to be drawn somewhere.
7
I don't have a problem with men addressing their needs with medication or devices. What bothers me is the invasion of big pharma in patients lives by the gamesmanship with pricing and availability.
Take for example a medication that is for both sexes, anti-depressants. After making billions before the patent restrictions ran out generic versions are available but excluded on formularies all over from specific insurers for plans to those by large retailers like CVS and Walgreens.
This new erection drug restriction is even bigger grandstanding by big pharma making it look like they're tacking a hit but are in reality are positioning to make still more money on an unrestricted retail drug market while toying with men's lives and the women who love them
Big Pharma had the chance to do new and better things with the billions it made and still makes off of both erectile performance and anti-depressant drugs. What did they do? They spent it not on the next big thing but on lobbying, advertising and marketing and other attempts to rig the market.
Not only should insurers and Medicare/Medicaid cover these drugs, there should be fair and equitable price caps set on them making them more available to those who need them.
Take for example a medication that is for both sexes, anti-depressants. After making billions before the patent restrictions ran out generic versions are available but excluded on formularies all over from specific insurers for plans to those by large retailers like CVS and Walgreens.
This new erection drug restriction is even bigger grandstanding by big pharma making it look like they're tacking a hit but are in reality are positioning to make still more money on an unrestricted retail drug market while toying with men's lives and the women who love them
Big Pharma had the chance to do new and better things with the billions it made and still makes off of both erectile performance and anti-depressant drugs. What did they do? They spent it not on the next big thing but on lobbying, advertising and marketing and other attempts to rig the market.
Not only should insurers and Medicare/Medicaid cover these drugs, there should be fair and equitable price caps set on them making them more available to those who need them.
17
The 'convenient' law that prohibits Medicare from negotiating drug prices would be one place to start, if indeed congress wished to help control the cost of that program.
And as far as trickery, Viagra was due to become generic (costs approximately $0.08 to $0.12 per pill to produce and was targeted as a blood pressure medication, which at the time had to cost less than a dollar a pill to be competitive, but just in the nick of time, the FDA allowed a so called new use (which doctors had been using it for all the time already) to miraculously extend the patent another half decade.
For those who could use Viagra for their quality of life at a generic price, the government which is supposed to be our representative allowed Pfizer to continue to extract billions for over a longer period of time than the base law allowed. Gaming the system-screwing the people and other governmental agencies. Nice going.
And as far as trickery, Viagra was due to become generic (costs approximately $0.08 to $0.12 per pill to produce and was targeted as a blood pressure medication, which at the time had to cost less than a dollar a pill to be competitive, but just in the nick of time, the FDA allowed a so called new use (which doctors had been using it for all the time already) to miraculously extend the patent another half decade.
For those who could use Viagra for their quality of life at a generic price, the government which is supposed to be our representative allowed Pfizer to continue to extract billions for over a longer period of time than the base law allowed. Gaming the system-screwing the people and other governmental agencies. Nice going.
This is one of those articles that makes me sad about living in the U.S. And by the way, I also think it's an outrage that Medicare does not cover dental care or hearing aids. Typical American insanity.
119
If we're insane what are the French? The North Koreans, and the Syrians?
It IS insanity! The government should pay for everything for everyone!
Or eyeglasses.
1
Medicare not covering hearing aids and dental care is shocking...
123
..if you don't suffer from ED.
Insurance that will cover hearing aids (usually costing $3,000 and up an ear, if you go to an audiologist) is extremely rare.
As a male in his 50's misfires happen so to speak, but you work through them. Exercise, diet and learning how to relax are important especially when you get older to maintain a healthy sex life with your partner. No I don't believe that the government should provide your boner pills or pump.
11
You'll be back when that relaxation therapy does not work.
1
Well everyone is not you. Some people have medical conditions with symptoms that are not going to be relieved by all the exercise, diet and relaxing in the world. By the time someone gets into his 50's he should have some awareness of the fact that there are other people in the world with different problems and different experiences. Your "solution" to the problem of ed isn't particularly helpful to someone who may have suffered some injury or has diabetes or, due to some other condition, has to take some medication that interferes with erections.
1
Get back to me when you're 70.
2
Good article, though the ageism in some of the comments is appalling. Do these people think they will never get older? Most of my friends (late 60's, 70's) appear to be quite active sexually with husbands, wives or whatevers. I don't think there is anything "New" about this and wonder about the title for the series [New Old Age]. If there is anything novel, it is the sweeping aside of some pretty lame ageist assumptions.
37
When we were young, intercourse was where it was at -- for the most part. First, because we were young and could do and wanted it. Then because many of us were trying to procreate. But now, at this later time in life?
Seems to me that older folks may benefit from seeing the many, many, many other ways to have sex that do not include intercourse. No drugs or pumps required.
Seems to me that older folks may benefit from seeing the many, many, many other ways to have sex that do not include intercourse. No drugs or pumps required.
6
Why should you decide for others what they have found to be important to them? The same process of living life and engaging in intimacy, of whatever form, with your partner, does not need your moralizing or opinion.
I urge the author of this article to update himself swiftly. Penis pumps and pills went out with hoola hoops and frisbies. The only effective cure for erectile dysfunction is a penile implant - they cost about $10,000 and Medicare pays every penny. The implant is surgically implanted and requires one night in the hospital. I'm 84 and I had mine installed 15 years ago. Pump it up, pump it down - easy. Leave it up an hour or six months. She'll love it.
12
Have you recently seen "The King and I"? I ask because in that musical people keep referring to Anna as "Sir" because she is educated and "scientific" I thought that perhaps if you were under the influence of this play it might explain why you refer to Paula Span as "himself" in your comment.
2
I'm glad you have the device, but some don't want nor can undertake surgery, and the magnitudes of difference in cost shows you have little concern for money. I'm glad you got the $10,000 device.
But to call any method that works, for anyone who has found the best for them, is being exceptionally shortsighted, even cruel.
But to call any method that works, for anyone who has found the best for them, is being exceptionally shortsighted, even cruel.
My husband experienced erectile dysfunction after surgery for prostate cancer. We are lucky- we can afford to pay $38 a pill in order to remain intimate in our late 60's. My guess is that Steve King sees treatment for erectile dysfunction as a "lifestyle issue" because he too pays out of pocket for his own Viagra.
19
One thing I learned through genetic testing, because, for some reason, this information was furnished to me as a female, is that Viagra doesn't work for everyone, just as some drugs of other classes don't work as well as others. So those telling people to purchase Viagra, generic or not, are recommending something that may not necessarily work.
2
CM - what's your point? So what if Viagra isn't the right drug for everyone? No drug is right for everyone. Are you suggesting that no one should have access simply because it may not help some people? Fact is, there is virtually nothing on the face of this earth other than air and water that is right for everyone and I've no doubt that even those things are problematic for some people.
Can't a couple be intimate without intercourse? Just because you've always done something one way doesn't mean you can't learn and change.
It sexism against the male. Current ED medication is typically not covered by Medicare drug supplement plans. I guess when you turn 65 ED is no longer considered a disease. How convenient. Even more frustrating some of these medications have been approved by FDA for the treatment of BPH and still no coverage.
10
The Republicans continue to live in a fact-free and science-free bubble, with a moralism that is inhumane. They are authoritarians, as in "The Authoritarian Personality" by Adorno, et al. (1950), a sociological study written in the wake of the alleged end of fascism in 1945 by a research team led by refugees from Germany.
The Authoritarian Personality "invented a set of criteria by which to define personality traits, ranked these traits and their intensity in any given person on what it called the 'F scale' (F for fascist)."[1] The personality type Adorno et al. identified can be defined by nine traits that were believed to cluster together as the result of childhood experiences. These traits include conventionalism, authoritarian submission, authoritarian aggression, anti-intellectualism, anti-intraception, superstition and stereotypy, power and "toughness", destructiveness and cynicism, projectivity, and exaggerated concerns over sex.[2][3]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Authoritarian_Personality
Note the "exaggerated concerns over sex." That alone speaks volumes about current Republicans, who want to control women's bodies and, to a lesser degree, men's.
Could it be that we actually lost World War II to fascist ideology--embodied here by today's Republicans--some 70 years later?
The Authoritarian Personality "invented a set of criteria by which to define personality traits, ranked these traits and their intensity in any given person on what it called the 'F scale' (F for fascist)."[1] The personality type Adorno et al. identified can be defined by nine traits that were believed to cluster together as the result of childhood experiences. These traits include conventionalism, authoritarian submission, authoritarian aggression, anti-intellectualism, anti-intraception, superstition and stereotypy, power and "toughness", destructiveness and cynicism, projectivity, and exaggerated concerns over sex.[2][3]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Authoritarian_Personality
Note the "exaggerated concerns over sex." That alone speaks volumes about current Republicans, who want to control women's bodies and, to a lesser degree, men's.
Could it be that we actually lost World War II to fascist ideology--embodied here by today's Republicans--some 70 years later?
39
As a liberal, and agreeing with much of what you said, I can't quite get on board with the argument that the government refusing to pay for a man's penis pump is an example of fascism.
1
You do realize you're the one expressing fascist ideas, right? What's next, camps for those who dare to disagree with your opinion on publc funding for sex toys?
Terrifying.
Terrifying.
It's a couple hundred bucks and it lasts essentially forever. If it's actually of value to people they can buy it themselves, even the poor. If it's as important to Mr J as he says, he'll certainly spend the $200. We don't need the government to provide everything to everyone, even everything essential. Paying for needs like this through people's own income (which includes Social Security and should be an adequate amount) is better than making a list of what the government will and won't pay for, which inevitably leads to waste and higher costs.
20
Couldna said it better--good work, Mr. desJ.
I agree with Mr des Jardins, there are many necessities to try to pay for out of a linited ool of money, things that affect longevity and disability. Somehow, paying fo someone to be abe to have an erection just does not seem like a priorty.
I'm not sure which side of the argument I am on, but if you think a typical Social Security check would allow anyone the ability to buy expensive medicine or medical equipment you obviously don't know any SS recipients. My mother received $1000 a month from SS. Luckily she didn't have to depend solely on SS income or she would never have been able to afford her medications, food or gas for the car. My SS income is higher than hers was but I would be up a creek if I didn't have other sources of income. It's easy to generalize but the upshot is that poor people often have to choose between food and medicine.
3
How about a medical study to try and isolate the "nasty gene" in Republican lawmakers?
38
'far more expensive and invasive penile implant surgery.'
And that should be removed from coverage as well. There is more to sex than penetration and if you can't adapt, then maybe it's not important enough to you.
But once again, people expect a pill or procedure to cure all their ills instead of putting some effort into effecting their situation.
And that should be removed from coverage as well. There is more to sex than penetration and if you can't adapt, then maybe it's not important enough to you.
But once again, people expect a pill or procedure to cure all their ills instead of putting some effort into effecting their situation.
9
Wow, must be a 30 something who knows-it-all (except physiology and anatomy but that is so unnecessary).
I can't get dental and you want a penis pump. Get REAL!!!!!!!!!!!
31
Sex is never a joke, though it's sometimes very funny.
8
Ah, at last! SANITY!
Sexual health coverage makes sense. It makes sense because sexual health is still health of the body. Failure to be able to use your body for sex is a failure in health. The only reason not to cover sexual health, it seems to me, is some sort of puritanical desire to suppress sex. How cruel. It amounts to saying, "I am not interested in sex, so neither should you be." Sexuality is not a "lifestyle" issue. Sexuality is, for many of us, a fundamental aspect of our marriage.
32
It’s not just Medicare that has its values and priorities bass-ackwards. I used to be an Asst. A.G. for my state, representing the Dept. of Public Aid which administered Medicaid. It practically blew me away the first time I learned that Medicaid would pay to have some or all of a welfare recipient’s teeth extracted--but not to fill cavities, clean away tartar or dentures (not even partial!) to replace the missing teeth. Same with eyewear--they’d refract and treat glaucoma and cataracts but not provide glasses. The state would crow about how important it was to get people off the welfare rolls to eventually become gainfully employed contributors to society. But who’s going to hire a job applicant who’s banging into walls and can’t be understood because they’re toothless?
Nobody has ever accused governments of a surfeit of common sense.
Nobody has ever accused governments of a surfeit of common sense.
100
Can we stop foreign aid for Israel and Egypt and use the money for Medicare, Viagra, Etc., Etc? It's over five billion dollars. Should be enough...
15
What is truly unfair is that one's income determines whether or not they receive the same medical care as others. Why should people suffer because they cannot pay for the over priced drugs and paraphernalia to make life pleasanter or survivable when the wealthy have no problems in obtaining what they need? This holds true in all areas of life as well where the inequities of income determine one's choices rather than genuine needs.
The attitudes to older people are also inhumane when most of us are or will become elderly and not be honored or respected for past or present abilities. Unfortunately the people making these important decisions of how to spend money for our seniors are hateful, arrogant and selfish which says a lot about where our nation stands these days.
The attitudes to older people are also inhumane when most of us are or will become elderly and not be honored or respected for past or present abilities. Unfortunately the people making these important decisions of how to spend money for our seniors are hateful, arrogant and selfish which says a lot about where our nation stands these days.
12
Headline-- Male doctors defend the right of every man to have an erection nomatter what the cost or the dangers of the drugs that inspire them. There is not a single word in this article about the eye sight and hearing side effects of these dandy little pills and the further cost to our medical system when men suffer them.
7
That's irrelevant -- the article is about pumps, not pills. Low cost, low risk.
That's irrelevant -- the article is about pumps, not pills. Low cost, low risk.
Talk about red herrings! Yes the pills have side effects. Every pill ever made has side effects. So what? I've been using Viagra since it's release and the only side effect I have is sinus congestion which I treat with otc Afrin - it has no effect whatsoever on my eyesight or my hearing. Other people may have a different experience. Same as every pill ever made. No pill is right for every person. Your argument is completely bogus.
1
Just another example of politicians making medical decisions for federally funded programs. Their decisions are based upon "what will get me re-elected" rather than "what is the best medical decision." It does not surpriise me that Midwestern congressmen consider geriatric sex out of the question. They do not believe in family planning, either.
23
STOP THE WARS and pay for the pumps dammmmmit!!
16
I would like to be able to turn summersaults, again. Is there a pill for that?
6
Viagra is a lot cheaper now, it went off patent in the spring. Now available generic. Get your facts right
7
"(T)ax-free savings accounts for housing, education and transportation" is a lovely idea, but current interest rates are not an incentive to save money. Is there some sort of special savings account that disabled people have access to that pays an interest rate that would pay more than a couple of dollars a year on $100,000 in the bank?
9
What does this have to do with the subject of the column? I'm 71, had a prostatectomy in 1999 (my father died of prostate cancer at 59, when I was 7).
Subsequent major changes in erectile function pointed to radiation therapy as the cause(?). As late as 2009, before hormone therapy for post-menopausal women was discouraged my wife and I were still sexually active, albeit, less frequently than when we first got married. Absent the hormone therapy her reaction to intercourse is negative enough to make my use of any erection facilitating drug/vacuum-pump pointless.
Subsequent major changes in erectile function pointed to radiation therapy as the cause(?). As late as 2009, before hormone therapy for post-menopausal women was discouraged my wife and I were still sexually active, albeit, less frequently than when we first got married. Absent the hormone therapy her reaction to intercourse is negative enough to make my use of any erection facilitating drug/vacuum-pump pointless.
1
This has benefited far fewer seniors than buying the enhancement drugs - except for the very wealthy. Just how much information is given to seniors about these tax savings. I have never seen Medicare provide information. More obfuscation and lies from the reactionary GOP. And of course Medicare can't negotiate for lower prices - so lets cut benefits. How anybody on Medicare votes for the GOP is beyond me.
4
Paula, you have consistently kept us informed about the procedures covered by Medicare that not only do not improve outcomes for the elderly but often make them much sicker and frailer than they are. You have asked wise questions about replacing hips and knees in those with advanced Alzheimers, who cannot do physical therapy and thus will be wheel-chair bound. You have railed at the foolishness of Medicare covering acute but not chronic care, so our elderly loved ones can have heart replacements but not home care or an apartment in an assisted living community --- even tho the first may propel them on a fast downward trajectory because of the insult of surgery and the second would make it possible for them to be safe and well-cared for in old age. This is the lie of Medicare, and you the main person exposing it. In the hierarchy of needs, first I'd eliminate the harmful surgical interventions and add long-term care. Then, despite my own belief that old people should have all the sex they want, I might cut the penis pumps. But think how many penis pumps Medicare could afford if it refused pointless and dangerous surgery? How much does that hip replacement cost for the person who will never walk again? Or that open heart surgery that will more likely kill that save an 85-year-old? The whole model is outdated when most 70 year olds will live to 85 and most 85 year old will require years of help with the activities of daily living.
46
Asking Medicare to take on the RENT and FOOD costs for all elderly people (in the form of paying for their Assisted Living accommodations) is just not a reasonable request -- AL can run easily to $4000 in a modest area, and over $8000 and up in a costly high rent part of the nation.
If people thought they could "dump Granny" in this way, or get free rent, you'd see huge numbers of people taking this whether they needed it or not.
If Medicare overpays NOW for things as simple to negotiate as aluminum walkers -- imagine how AL homes would gouge them for rents and services! It's bad enough today when they gouge families and frail elderly residents.
If people thought they could "dump Granny" in this way, or get free rent, you'd see huge numbers of people taking this whether they needed it or not.
If Medicare overpays NOW for things as simple to negotiate as aluminum walkers -- imagine how AL homes would gouge them for rents and services! It's bad enough today when they gouge families and frail elderly residents.
1
as a 63 year old whose new knees gave me back my life I do not understand your railing against surgery (by the way not on medicare, working full time) if they are being done on people with advanced alzheimer's of course that is wrong- insane- but where did you get that fact? not so sure it is true
and the penis pump- buy it yourself really
and the penis pump- buy it yourself really
Could we have a psychiatric article next on why a man's ego is so highly linked to his penis? And can we find out if the woman's enhancement pill be reimbursed because Medicare should not discriminate.
17
It's called testosterone. We are talking about natural biology. Your comment is filled with ignorance and anger. I'm sorry if you've been hurt in the past, but don't blame it on all men.
2
Can you imagine how much research funding would be required if we studied why a WOMAN*s ego was so highly linked to her breast size?
BILLIONS go into it.
So can you stop your sexist interpretations of men. Women spend way more on breast enlargement and other forms of cosmetic surgery.
I think the jury decision on who has the bigger ego was decided long go.
BILLIONS go into it.
So can you stop your sexist interpretations of men. Women spend way more on breast enlargement and other forms of cosmetic surgery.
I think the jury decision on who has the bigger ego was decided long go.
If, in a discussion of breast reconstruction surgerry, someone was to ask why a woman's ego is so highly linked to her breasts it would be considered reprehensible. Your comment is equally reprehensible.
It is like everything else in medicine, the providers are gouging patients. The cost of tadalafil, sildenafil, and vardenafil is just pennies a dose but the drug companies are charging an arm and a leg for each pill. You can get the same drugs considerably cheaper over the internet (and yes if you are careful about your source, you will get the exact same chemical as that in the genuine drug. Counterfeit does not necessarily mean fake.) $500 for a vacuum system is equally ridiculous. You can probably make your own for under 20 bucks with parts from a lab supply company and the hardware store. Hormonal drugs for women are a different issue entirely. Those treat more than just lifestyle issues and it should be pointed out that testosterone replacement is covered which more closely corresponds to the issue of women's hormonal drugs. If it weren't for the idiots in Congress (for the most part, Republicans) who are bought and paid for by the drug companies, Medicare could negotiate drug prices. If prices were reasonable, maybe they could cover these items.
75
Internet costs for Levitra, Cialis and Viagra run between $14 and $16 per pill for the highest dosage.
My friend has been horrified by the exorbitant prices she says Medicare pays for ordinary aluminum walkers. Along the same line, the article alludes to whether it would have been better to demand more reasonable prices than eliminate payment for the erection pumps altogether. (Sounds to me like the answer is yes.)
We keep hearing that Republicans are demanding repeal of the medical device tax on manufacturers--maybe we are already being scammed by ridiculous prices for medical devices. Remember when we caught the military paying sky-high prices for hammers and toilet seats? Does someone need to look into the prices Medicare pays for all medical devices?
We keep hearing that Republicans are demanding repeal of the medical device tax on manufacturers--maybe we are already being scammed by ridiculous prices for medical devices. Remember when we caught the military paying sky-high prices for hammers and toilet seats? Does someone need to look into the prices Medicare pays for all medical devices?
69
Of course.... My Dad worried about Medicare paying more for a wheelchair over 3 months rental than for the cost he would pay for buying it outright.
Disallowing negotiations on the cost of medical care et al is about as stupid as telling a home seller that they can set the price and you will pay it. The Republicans are being disingenuous in pretending that their interest is purely one of financial priorities and practicalities - hypocrites!
Disallowing negotiations on the cost of medical care et al is about as stupid as telling a home seller that they can set the price and you will pay it. The Republicans are being disingenuous in pretending that their interest is purely one of financial priorities and practicalities - hypocrites!
4
If the government doesn't want to fund men and women's ability to continue to have sex into "old" age, why do they fund sexual reassignment surgery for men/women in the armed forces and/or prisons?
I know they're not the same thing, but there has to be a decision somewhere about this -- the very moment a presidential candidate needs a penile implant or pump, let's see that sucker get funding.
I know they're not the same thing, but there has to be a decision somewhere about this -- the very moment a presidential candidate needs a penile implant or pump, let's see that sucker get funding.
24
Let's take a step back and look at the larger picture. Whatever your thoughts are on ED, Cialis has been proven effective for benign prostate enlargement. There can be much more pleasure in controlled urination than sex, at times.
17
It is not only an issue for older men: But those on medication that cause sexual issues. I've know many patients suffering from depression,anxiety, or other mental illnesses that suffer severe sexual side effects from medication such as SSRIs. These people range from teenagers to the elderly. But private insurance doesn't cover PDE5 drugs either.
So occasionally you have a 25 year old deciding between suffering from depression,have a sex life, or being late on bills because they have to drop several hundred dollars out of pocket.
This is also oddly enough sexist as well. MOST woman take birth control to prevent pregnancy as the primary purpose. They insurance gladly pays for it because it saves them lots of money. ED drugs don't.
Luckily generics will be available in 2017.
So occasionally you have a 25 year old deciding between suffering from depression,have a sex life, or being late on bills because they have to drop several hundred dollars out of pocket.
This is also oddly enough sexist as well. MOST woman take birth control to prevent pregnancy as the primary purpose. They insurance gladly pays for it because it saves them lots of money. ED drugs don't.
Luckily generics will be available in 2017.
12
Let's not forget the fight by employers to have their employees birth control NOT covered by insurance - which is still ongoing.
6
It's only recently that insurance companies and employers have been required to cover birth control, and there are many republican ACA opponents who see birth control coverage as a non-essential, frivolous luxury.
Just look at all the employers opting out of birth control coverage for moral reasons. I've yet to hear of an employer refusing to cover ED treatments.
Just look at all the employers opting out of birth control coverage for moral reasons. I've yet to hear of an employer refusing to cover ED treatments.
2
"women’s hormonal creams, rings and suppositories" serve a purpose other than sexual. Atrophic vaginal and urethral tissue can be quite painful, with patients reporting a constant burning sensation, not just during sex. And atrophic urethral tissue makes the woman much more vulnerable to chronic urinary tract infections. So I'm not sure we can compare hormonal treatments for women to men's treatments for ED.
130
This is absolutely true. And where did you get the idea these drugs are covered by Medicare or Medicare supplements? Every day as a gynecologist I get calls from patients asking for alternatives to Vagifem tablets, Estrace or Premarin cream, or the Nuvaring because they're all outrageously priced, in what seems to me to be suspiciously like collusion. Take Vagifem, a tablet that is put in the vagina, has just 1/100 the amount of estradiol as oral estradiol, a daily pill which retails at Walmart for 30 cents each. Yet patients are having to shell out $25/pill for each Vagifem tablet. Over $300/3 months at 2x/wk. ALL the vaginal estrogen preparations are highly priced, even the generic cream.
The benefit of vaginal estrogen therapy is its safety. It treats vulvovaginal irritation and urinary urgency without it getting into the rest of the body usually in amounts enough to cause strokes or venous emboli. So patients can't just take the oral pill without more risk.
Vagifem was available in the U.S. some years ago in a 25 mcg dose and it was much cheaper (it's still available in Canada and other countries). The 25 mcg also has little systemic absorption and risk. But somebody did a little study that showed that the lower 10 mcg dose was almost as effective for irritation as the 25 mcg dose, and wham bang they slammed a patent on it ! Nobody is offering the 25 mcg dose anymore for some reason so millions of older American women are captive. The shenanigans of BigPharma!
The benefit of vaginal estrogen therapy is its safety. It treats vulvovaginal irritation and urinary urgency without it getting into the rest of the body usually in amounts enough to cause strokes or venous emboli. So patients can't just take the oral pill without more risk.
Vagifem was available in the U.S. some years ago in a 25 mcg dose and it was much cheaper (it's still available in Canada and other countries). The 25 mcg also has little systemic absorption and risk. But somebody did a little study that showed that the lower 10 mcg dose was almost as effective for irritation as the 25 mcg dose, and wham bang they slammed a patent on it ! Nobody is offering the 25 mcg dose anymore for some reason so millions of older American women are captive. The shenanigans of BigPharma!
8
Add to that list of problems endless yeast infections, costly recurring bladder infections prior to chronic ones and incontinence/urgency. Costs with all these regardless of sexual activity. Some of these hormonal meds are extremely expensive in the U.S. even if part of the the cost is covered running about $1200/yr, which if negotiated in other countries are about one quarter of that cost annually. Plan your overseas vacations well.
7
Instead, let's compare breast cancer funding and prostate cancer funding.
You really want to go there?
How about:
womenshealth.gov
menshealth.gov
You really want to go there?
How about SEVEN national agencies for the health of women and NONE for men.
You really want to go there?
Stop complaining. Men are not asking for much. Just one tenth of what women get.
You really want to go there?
How about:
womenshealth.gov
menshealth.gov
You really want to go there?
How about SEVEN national agencies for the health of women and NONE for men.
You really want to go there?
Stop complaining. Men are not asking for much. Just one tenth of what women get.
1
This is one of those items where Medicare paid way too much, as pointed out. If this was reapproved for payment and Medicare was to take a look at what is marketed, and simply set a maximum price on these devices, makers would meet it. None of them would let this size market go. Where ever did they get the high price?
In the past it seemed unfair that Viagra was covered for men - and by a lot of private insurance as well -- while there was nothing for women. This isn't the kind of level laying field hoped for! And of course there's the outrageous cost of Viagra HERE ( Pfizer protected until 2017, when Teva comes in, then semiprotected to 2020 in the US) - while generic versions have been available in Europe for a couple of years. If there was really free trade - - the price would be negotiated.
Now I do think that I would rate hearing deficits as a condition more desperately in need of treatment and funding than ED - - - another antiquated idea that losing one's hearing is normal aging . . . and If Medicare was allowed to actively negotiate deals, it could reduce prices there as well.
Definitely an old notion about old coots.
In the past it seemed unfair that Viagra was covered for men - and by a lot of private insurance as well -- while there was nothing for women. This isn't the kind of level laying field hoped for! And of course there's the outrageous cost of Viagra HERE ( Pfizer protected until 2017, when Teva comes in, then semiprotected to 2020 in the US) - while generic versions have been available in Europe for a couple of years. If there was really free trade - - the price would be negotiated.
Now I do think that I would rate hearing deficits as a condition more desperately in need of treatment and funding than ED - - - another antiquated idea that losing one's hearing is normal aging . . . and If Medicare was allowed to actively negotiate deals, it could reduce prices there as well.
Definitely an old notion about old coots.
30
Similarly, costs for hearing aids are ridiculous... They are cheap to make, so the cost and issues involved are needlessly expensive in both human and financial terms.
If one can't see well then reduced hearing becomes a double-whammy when lip-reading can no longer help someone interpret speech. Cutting off that aid to auditory comprehension makes communication more difficult, whether it is auditory, visual, or written....
Taking it one step further the increased requirements for understanding communications - most specifically auditory - mean that more brain processing must be concentrated on comprehension, reducing the individual's ability to retain the sense of what was said. Then there are issues with miscommunication, and individuals may simply give up and pretend they heard, leading to worries that the communication-challenged person's mental capacities are weakening - when the base issue is a hearing loss and the relatively poor quality of hearing aids, perhaps coupled with weaking eye sight.
Then frustration and depression are likely, worsening family tranquility.
I watched this whole cycle play out with my parents......and I can't understand the overall lack of compassion in our society that is so little able to really take care of the "...weakest among us"
If one can't see well then reduced hearing becomes a double-whammy when lip-reading can no longer help someone interpret speech. Cutting off that aid to auditory comprehension makes communication more difficult, whether it is auditory, visual, or written....
Taking it one step further the increased requirements for understanding communications - most specifically auditory - mean that more brain processing must be concentrated on comprehension, reducing the individual's ability to retain the sense of what was said. Then there are issues with miscommunication, and individuals may simply give up and pretend they heard, leading to worries that the communication-challenged person's mental capacities are weakening - when the base issue is a hearing loss and the relatively poor quality of hearing aids, perhaps coupled with weaking eye sight.
Then frustration and depression are likely, worsening family tranquility.
I watched this whole cycle play out with my parents......and I can't understand the overall lack of compassion in our society that is so little able to really take care of the "...weakest among us"
4
Until very recently, there WAS no drug like Viagra for women -- a drug to increase sexual performance/desire. A lot of people compare Viagra to either birth control (which is bizarre) or to estrogen replacement (closer, but still not the same). Anyhow, Medicare pays for estrogen and hormonal treatments for menopause symptoms, assuming you still have them over 65.
2
Not sure that the ABLE act, which seems to enable tax-free savings without means testing, is worth some of the tradeoffs described in the article referenced by the link provided. For example, it increases the age at which disabled people can collect unreduced Social Security benefits, as well as delaying the implementation of a program to help pay for oral-only treatments for people with end-stage kidney disease. Those are not good things, and, ironically, the description of the acceptable uses for funds saved under ABLE is so broad that those could probably be used for ED drugs or the penis pump.
Inasmuch as sexual activity is a basic expression of love for another human being, denying a reasonable amount of coverage for medical intervention for those who still desire it but whose health problems prevent an erection seems cruel, not only for those persons, but also for their partners.
Inasmuch as sexual activity is a basic expression of love for another human being, denying a reasonable amount of coverage for medical intervention for those who still desire it but whose health problems prevent an erection seems cruel, not only for those persons, but also for their partners.
7
I read this article because I set up a "migraine alert " w/ the NYT. I'm 67 & have fought migraines for 52 yrs. It has vastly impacted the quality of my life, the foods I can't eat, the times I've been unable to join my family activities, the unending pain & misery. As I've aged they've gotten worse. Now in addition to my anti-nausea pills, I also carry a throw-up bag in my purse in case the pills don't work. I'm also a 5 yr beast cancer survivor who had a mastectomy w/which left me w/ chronic pain. Everyone has issues but don't minimize migraines or bc.
42
I agree. People close to me suffer from severe debilitating migraines. It is an extremely painful medical condition and failure to provide insurance coverage for treatment is unconscionable. I am shocked that the author of this article minimizes the seriousness of migraine suffering.
5
Have you looked into Botox? Supposedly some folks who suffered from migraines for years have found it to be just short of a miracle cure. Many good wishes to you...
Hi Linda, fellow migrainer here, have you ever tried the vitamins for migraine?
It's not quackery, but a clinically validated regimen that a neurologist gave me and it worked wonders. It reduces both the frequency and the level of pain. The only thing I take for my headaches now is Exedrin.
B2 200mg AM and PM
CoQ10 150mg AM and PM
Magnesium 500mg daily.
Make sure the Mg is attached to something (like oxide or glycinate), straight Mg will give you the runs.
No side effects, and if it doesn't work in a couple of months you can just quit.
I hope it helps, good luck.
It's not quackery, but a clinically validated regimen that a neurologist gave me and it worked wonders. It reduces both the frequency and the level of pain. The only thing I take for my headaches now is Exedrin.
B2 200mg AM and PM
CoQ10 150mg AM and PM
Magnesium 500mg daily.
Make sure the Mg is attached to something (like oxide or glycinate), straight Mg will give you the runs.
No side effects, and if it doesn't work in a couple of months you can just quit.
I hope it helps, good luck.
Those in Congress will never be forced to do without, rather obviously, due to both wealth and the better health care they enjoy than most of their constituents.
If old soldiers deserve a pump, why not everyone else?
And why does Congress abdicate its oversight authority, then cut programs people need because they're "too expensive"? Sounds like Congress doesn't mind paying for politically advantageous dog and pony shows, but is too lazy and inept to actually be in charge of policy.
If old soldiers deserve a pump, why not everyone else?
And why does Congress abdicate its oversight authority, then cut programs people need because they're "too expensive"? Sounds like Congress doesn't mind paying for politically advantageous dog and pony shows, but is too lazy and inept to actually be in charge of policy.
55
This Old Soldiers earned the Blue Pill.
Due to recent wars, I'd say it's possible that the soldiers requiring the pumps may not be "old soldiers."
I see this is the weekly article from the NY Times pushing the joys of sexual activity in the retirement set. Give it up already. Most old people, and I am one, don't want to be bothered any more and no amount of convoluted studies of a small bunch of wannabees will convince me otherwise. I would much rather that Medicare spend its money on real diseases, not on has been fantasies.
62
Fantasies for you, perhaps.
44
Just because you've shut down, George, doesn't mean the rest of the world has.
87
I'll be the first to admit that there are a handful of seniors who will never accept that their sex lives are over. Just because they are desperate to bring back the days when they were 20, doesn't mean the rest of us have to pay for something that is not medically necessary.
4
So, what you're saying is: Medicare won't pay for hearing aids for my deafness, but they'll pay for some old guy's sex life. I wonder if anybody has asked the wives' opinions on that.
60
Did you read the article? It says that Medicare does NOT pay for viagra, the pump, or "some old guy's sex life." And by the way, if you're on Medicare, you ARE an old guy. I too am an "old guy" and if it came down to my hearing aids or my sex life I think I'd choose the latter.
64
I'm not an old guy, I'm an old gal. Maybe that's the difference between choosing hearing over sex. :)
4
Medicare could save a lot of money here and we all know that money is everything. Anyway, neither hearing or sex are worthwhile pursuits in america. People are fat and ugly and there's nothing, nothing, nothing worth listening to.
1
Generic Viagra is available on-line for about $3. pill. - it works.
14
Yes. It can even be bought cheaper, for closer to $1 per pill. This is not a real issue at all, people can pay for their own meds.
7
Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I was under the impression that there is no legal generic Viagra. So you go ahead and order those cheap pills from who knows where. What you are actually getting is anyone's guess.
2
If one's partner did the pumping, think it could, indeed, be romantic fun.
40
Irrational exuberance, Mr Greenspan?
The aging process diminishes lots of things. Some of them like vision, hearing, mobility and dentition are universal attributes that impact everyone's quality of life and therefore should be preserved and enhanced. Not so sexual intercourse. Some want to have it right to the end while others find pleasures and rewards in life in other ways and the definition of sexual intimacy takes on new variations.
A question is whether health care costs should be distributed equally to pay for lifestyle issues not shared or required by everyone and which (as far as I know) does not affect longevity?
A question is whether health care costs should be distributed equally to pay for lifestyle issues not shared or required by everyone and which (as far as I know) does not affect longevity?
15
So, A Goldstein, I'm presuming you would apply the question to breast reconstruction surgery after a mastectomy -- which the article noted is currently covered by Medicare? That certainly is a "lifestyle issue" not shared or required by everyone, and does not affect longevity -- as far as I know. And it's expensive -- much more costly than a penis pump.
16
Dr J -
Comparing ED to breast cancer is a questionable analogy and restoring the consequences of disfiguring breast cancer surgery is not just another lifestyle issue even though the likelihood of both increases with age.
Comparing ED to breast cancer is a questionable analogy and restoring the consequences of disfiguring breast cancer surgery is not just another lifestyle issue even though the likelihood of both increases with age.
17
"Lifestyle issue"? Is that right-wing speak for "somebody else's problem" ?
55