The Department of Defense (DoD) spent more than a half a million dollars on the male enhancement drug Viagra last year, according to government contracts.
The Pentagon issued 60 contracts worth$504,816 for the drug in 2014. All 60 contracts were awarded to Cardinal Health Inc., a pharmaceutical distribution company based in Dublin, Ohio.
Last year DoD also ordered $3,505 worth of Levitra, and $14,540 of Cialis, other popular erectile dysfunction drugs.
The contracts were filed under "Troop Support."
(Well of course it was.)
DoD began offering Viagra to soldiers as a medical benefit in 1998, when the drug cost $10 a pill. Due to inflation, one pill now costs $25. At the time the military's policy only allowed for six pills a month per patient, and the DoD said they would "not replace lost or stolen pills."
Tricare the military's health care provider also covers penis pumps, "penile implants and testicular prostheses," and hormone injections to treat Erectile Dysfunction.
Can't have a fighting man who can't get it up now can we?
But then considering how many female military personnel are raped or sexually assaulted each year, perhaps that money would be better spent on sensitivity training rather than on various ways to give men a means with which to carry out those assaults.
I am retired USAF and Tricare is my heath insurance. Fortunately I don't require drug supplements or pumps, etc. However, I'm sure that in the course of Urological treatment, there are rerirees who require that mode of therapy. I seriously doubt a rape is preceded by a session with a penis pump and a dose of viagra by a healthy male.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, sensitivity training is provided.
Please be careful in your generalizations and get some advice on a topic you have no experience with.
If someone needs viagra they should pay for their own. It is not medically needed at all.
DeleteUS Army Major Ret.
When tax payers are paying for it they have every right to comment.
DeleteI guess they are not listening to god's will
DeleteWhen that goes they need to accept it as birth control
Considering estimates I read said that a 3 year bombing mission against isis could cost 10 to 20+ billion a year...(and then triple that.... thats how it grows). I'm totally OK with the viagra cost.
DeleteYou know the saying, if momma ain't happy, aint nobody happy. If spending a million on viagra is helping even a little bit to reduce the problems on already stressed military relationships, and in turn families, who knows what untold costs it could be saving both emotionally and financially.
A million is nothing to the military. Make it a billion as far as I care. The question that everyone should be asking is why is viagra $25 a pill? It should be a buck a pill.
There is never a medical need to support a mans ability to have sex. Those that want hard on pills should either get healthy or pay for their own.
ReplyDeleteI would bet many people are getting their six pills a month and re-selling them for a tidy little income support program of their own.
ReplyDeleteExactly. It is not only sex pills. It is big business, the black market. I know of many vets that sell or trade their meds. Not just the sex pills. They consider it after after care.
DeleteI used to laugh about Viagra and erectile dysfunction until my husband of almost 30 years starting having challenges in his 50s. Now it isn't a joke any more. Not being able to achieve sexual release in middle age is a genuine physical and emotional health issue, believe me. I would guess that most of the servicemen taking Viagra are middle-aged or nearing retirement.
ReplyDeleteThere are legitimate questions, like whether there are non-pharmaceutical alternatives, why the darn pills cost so much, and what causes ED in the first place. But I wouldn't fault the military for buying it.
Sorry, but having sex is not medically necessary and no one else should have to pay for your husband's hard on issues, most likely caused by him not being healthy in the first place.
DeleteAnon 5:51 again...My husband is actually in pretty good health for his age. We don't know why he has these problems, only that they exist. I sincerely hope you never have to deal with this problem firsthand. It's not pleasant.
DeleteI actually am from a USAF family and worked for the military as a civilian for many years. As taxpayers, we are subsidizing the health care of servicemen, retired servicemen, and countless dependents and even former dependents sometimes. (For instance, a good friend gets her much-needed medical care through the military because she is the ex-wife of a military officer.). We are talking billions of dollars in health care that we are paying for, and of course we aren't going to agree with every prescription or decision. Your frivolity or bad decision is my necessity---or vice versa.
There are some legitimate questions about what should and shouldn't be covered by health insurance. I think all angles of sexual and reproductive health should be fully covered: contraception, abortion, counseling, sexual dysfunction, etc. Obviously one can quibble over the details.
Again, getting an erection is not medically necessary and to compare it to actual health issues is ridiculous, And I don't care what branch other people served from your family, it does not change the fact that it is not medically necessary any more than a breast to have a larger chest.augmentation.
DeleteI'm a veteran, as is my husband, but I am also a tax payer and it's ridiculous to expect other people to pay to enhance your sex life. Teach your husband to use his tongue or use a vibrator, but don't expect tax payers to pay for non necessary and frivolous drugs for your family.
I have no problem with the military providing medication for ED. For those who have it, it can be serious issue to their self esteem and potential problem in their marriage. If it's being requested by those who need it, so it's certainly a major issue to them and it should be provided. Sex has a purpose besides for having children and any psychologist will tell you how important it is for a healthy marriage.
DeleteSorry I wasn't clear, anon 11:10. I'm not in the military and you are not paying for our family's health care or our Viagra. We can afford to buy our own. But I have no problem with my taxes going to pay for someone in the services who genuinely needs it. It seems a little harsh to deprive someone of a sex life for life when the problem can be fixed for about $1800 a year. Not all insurance companies cover Viagra, but many do. If it's covered by insurance, then it's not unreasonable to expect DOD health care to cover it.
DeleteThe point I was trying to make is that as taxpayers, we are paying for a lot of medical expenses for a lot of people loosely connected to the service. It's not just young 20-something's, and it's not all related to service-related health issues. Nor should it be.
If it's only $1800 a yr I guess then they will have no issue paying for it themselves. BTW many people have active sex lives without achieving an erection,
DeleteI suppose you think tricare should cover vibrators for women also.
Valid points by all commenters, thanknyou for the replies. But, beyond the physical need, believe me, any man who is having a problem with impotence will avail himself of whatever it takes to bolster his psyche and performance in the bedroom. It goes beyond physical. We must consider the spousal needs, the marriage, etc. By the way, I'm not Dr. Ruth!
ReplyDeleteNo one has to be married, no one has to have sex. And certainly tax payers shouldn't be stuck paying for men to have sex.
DeleteIf someone wants to pay fr their own that is fine. But achieving an erection is not and never will be medically necessary.
Delete6:42 and 6:43....
DeleteLet me guess...frigid bitches? Or man-hating lesbians (you hate their wives too)?
Narrow it down by telling me if you drive a Suburu?
This goes to the sense of entitlement that too many have. Just because you were in the military, why should I help pay for you to have sex? Maybe this is Mother Nature's way of telling men that it is time to quit. I am sure there are many of your wives who would agree with that.
ReplyDeleteI also feel sure that many of these old coots are the first to complain about programs to feed hungry children.
I don't think you mean me personally, I hope not. I earned my benefits, and appreciate them as well. As far as old coots, I live in a 55+ community, with many retired military/veterans. The old coots here heartily and generously support the USMC Toy for Tots program as well as a local homeless shelter.
DeleteBut, no, if I needed help in the bedroom, it would be out of my pocket. Besides, I'm 72 years old. Those days are over my shoulder now!
6 pills per month at $25 each is $1800. Doesn't take many patients to blow throw $500,000. The calculation is:
ReplyDelete=500000/(12*6*25)
which means 277 people are getting Viagra through this program. Not excessive in my opinion.
On the other hand, military women must pay for their own abortions which can not take place at military hospitals.
So much compassion for men not able to get erections, yet let women ask for contraceptive coverage, and we are labelled sluts.
ReplyDeleteExactly!!
DeleteUndeniably true, and sad.
Delete
ReplyDeleteSome of these may be prescribed to wounded veterans, and I would say are, therefore, medically necessary.
Old veterans, or old active duty solders, who need help should pay for their own assistance!
Sex is not medically necessary. Get over it, if you want hardon pills pay for them.
DeleteMany PTSD meds cause sexual dysfunction. Should a military family have to deal with not being able to have a happy and normal sex life on top of all the other pain and misery they deal with? Many come home from combat with physical injuries to the genital area and the "little blue pill" can also help in those instances.
ReplyDeleteThey can get all the "little blue pills" they want on their own dime. It is not medically necessary for anyone to have sex.
DeleteAnd how many of those little blue pills are actually prescribed to and needed by *our* military?
ReplyDeleteThe CIA uses Viagra as a non-traceable bribe to get the support of local chiefs and warlords. After a couple of nights as a "manly man", followed by days of strutting around the village, they would do anything to get more pills.
Until women's health issues (contraception, abortion, menopause, rape prevention and counseling, etc.) are covered in full by our military, I see no need to hand out erection pills to our soldiers, and certainly no need to hand them out as bribes to foreigners.
To paraphrase...........
ReplyDeleteGood people sleep peacefully because hard men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
Going to part ways with you on this one, Gryphen. Tricare also covers older, retired military men. ED is the side effect of a lot of drugs as well as of the psychological problems left from fighting in one of our ugly wars. And having PTSD is depressing enough without having problems in bed, too. Half a million really isn't that much when you realize how many people we're talking about. And we're already losing enough to suicide as it is. ED isn't funny when you're the guy suffering from it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, though, that our entire society needs to change it's attitude toward violence and sex. A lot of MEN get raped in the military. They always have; no one talks about it.
No.Just no.The idea that sex is some sort of reward to military for having served is wrong.If they want Viagra,let them pay for it themselves.In fact,my husband knows 2 men who spent less than 2 years in the motor pool who receive Viagra and sell the pills.
DeleteSex is not medically necessary and if they want erection drugs they should pay out of pocket.
DeleteSome men think their hard on is medically necessary for the world to continue.
DeletePerhaps a better investment for the Pentagon would be to give these whiners a lobotomy.
Instead of finding independence they will snivel about anything. You will never find them standing up for a woman to have fair medical treatment,
The Pentagon has a pill problem. I wouldn't be surprised if Big Pharma isn't in charge of it all. It is sick and tragic. The Pentagon is invested in using pills to cure soldiers like Jeremy Morlock so they can fight after injuries in the war we were lied into. Pills for those like Track Palin so he can look like a combat vet.
ReplyDeleteServe us, build on lies.
http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2015/02/joni-ernst-defends-calling-herself.html
Big Pharma!!!!!!
DeleteMISSING THE POINT--- this is how certain highly placed persons in government support BIG PHARMA!!! otherwise it would go belly up.... follow the $$$$ as well as the erections...
ReplyDeleteWe criticize Rush Limbaugh when he calls women sluts who should pay for their own birth control. Why are we shaming men who want a healthy sex life and saying they should pay for their medication? Should diabetics pay for their own medication because they ate too many sweets? Should heart patients pay for their meds because they didn't exercise enough? How about we leave these decisions to the patient and the doctor.
ReplyDeleteHow about men just pay for their own hard ons, not asking my tax dollar to do so.
DeleteI don't think I contraception is different. Making it accessible to all reduces un intended pregnancy which is a good thing for us all when the mothers are single, poor and uneducated. And it doesn't actually cost us anything because it's so much cheaper than prenatal care, labor and delivery and aftercare.
DeleteIf the military (tax payers) must pay for those they cripple and cause to become impotent. Or those that they use and they become impotent anyway, or maybe they just want to sell or trade the Viagra. If we support that we should support General Petraeus when he just wanted to keep it up.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petraeus_scandal
The men shouldn't be catered to in this manner. Especially in middle age - they typically have no desire to father kids at that point and it's nature at work not allowing their penis to act as it once did when they were younger!
ReplyDeleteTheir lack of effectiveness is often affiliated with health issues too and medication they might be taking!
Most women could care less about having sex with their husbands as the years move along (long term marriages). Plus, it can become very uncomfortable for women when they are in their menopausal years.
Sure seems as though men are catered to over women and men are the ones that seem to want to control women's bodies! (no abortions, no birth control, etc.)
Why would Christians be for anything that produces more sperm to waste? I thought they were anti-abortion. There would be less abortion with less Viagra. I expect to see a huge campaign lead by Nancy French playing the part of Bristol Palin to end abortion by starting with all those old guys who use Viagra. Go Nancy!
DeleteI remember a female DI at Lackland tell some recruits that "there's a thousand miles of dick on this base and you're not going to get one inch of it till you shape up'...!..and that was 53 years ago.......
ReplyDeleteActually Viagra was the most dangerous drug ever approved by FDA. Blindness, heart attacks, etc. go along with it as it shifts blood flow. They approved it because of being men. Naturally.
ReplyDeleteThis may be what happened to Bradley Cooper. Why he was so wrong about American Sniper, he thought the public would care about veterans when they returned home. Instead they love the guns and violence and lust for war.
ReplyDeleteThe use of BrainFire pills became widespread after Limitless became a Box Office smash hit and publicly referenced BrainFire as it’s inspiration.
http://www.healthy-consumer.com/articles/brain-booster/?&c1=377&c2=22951&c3=
With the help of a mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100 percent of his brain abilities, a struggling writer becomes a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with lots of dangers.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219289/
I'm really taken aback by all the contributors of yours that hate sex Gryph. They all (not all but a lot here) seem to be either man-haters or ultra prudes. They at least hate the idea of men being able to have sex, although it seems even deeper and meaner than that in some of these posts. Doesn't this bother you some? It seems I've read that you are all about it. It being the sexings and so forth. Seriously, chime in bud.
ReplyDelete