Produced by NewsOK.com All rights reserved.
U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn’s claim on offender Viagra is backed
BY CHRIS CASTEEL
Published: April 8, 2010
WASHINGTON — A non-partisan congressional agency has confirmed Sen. Tom Coburn’s claim that the health care law may allow convicted sex offenders to get federally subsidized prescriptions for Viagra and similar drugs.
MultimediaPhoto
view all photos The Congressional Research Service sent a memo to Coburn on the issue, concluding that "a convicted rapist, child molester, or other sex offender who is not incarcerated would not appear to be excluded from enrolling in a qualified health plan” in the new state marketplaces, called "exchanges,” to be created .
The memo states "a qualified health plan operating in that state would not appear to be prohibited ... from offering that individual coverage for drugs prescribed to treat” erectile dysfunction.
Under the law, the exchanges must be running by 2014.
A range of tax subsidies will be available then to help individuals and small businesses purchase health care coverage.
Last month, Coburn tried unsuccessfully to amend a bill of changes to the new health care law that would have prohibited convicted sex offenders from purchasing erectile dysfunction drugs through plans in the exchanges.
Democratic opponents accused Coburn, R-Muskogee, of trying to embarrass senators who wanted to pass the legislation without amendments.
Coburn’s amendment stemmed from a controversy five years ago over sex offenders getting erectile dysfunction drugs through the government-funded Medicaid program. An Associated Press survey in 2005 found that nearly 800 convicted sex offenders in 14 states had received erectile dysfunction drugs through the Medicaid program.
Coburn spokesman John Hart said Wednesday that Coburn "hopes his colleagues will reconsider their opposition to taking responsible steps to prevent sex offenders from obtaining taxpayer-funded ED drugs through the new health care law.”
Read more: http://newsok.com/u.s.-sen.-tom-coburns-claim-on-offender-viagra-is-backed/article/3452167?custom_click=rss#ixzz0kW9peF9q
http://ow.ly/1w24J
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment