csua.org/u/c5p -> news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050523/ap_on_re_us/sex_offenders_viagra_4
AP NY Audit Shows Sex Offenders Get Viagra By MICHAEL VIRTANEN, Associated Press Writer Mon May 23, 7:51 AM ET ALBANY, NY - Scores of convicted rapists and other high-risk sex offend ers in New York have been getting Viagra paid by Medicaid for the last f ive years, the state's comptroller said Sunday.
Audits by Comptroller Alan Hevesi's office showed that between January 20 00 and March 2005, 198 sex offenders in New York received Medicaid-reimb ursed Viagra after their convictions. Those included crimes against chil dren as young as 2 years old, he said.
Department of Health and Human Services , in a letter Sunday to "take immediate action to ensure that sex offende rs do not receive erectile dysfunction medication paid for by taxpayers. " A call to Leavitt's office was not immediately returned Sunday. According to Hevesi, the problem is an unintended consequence of a 1998 d irective from federal officials telling states that Medicaid prescriptio n programs must include Viagra. His office discovered that the state was helping sex offenders pay for Viagra by checking Medicaid pharmacy expe nditures against the state's sex offender registry. New York's two senators said Sunday the problem should be corrected.
Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a statement that it was "deeply disturbing and runs contrary to t he purpose of Medicaid, which is to provide health care coverage for uni nsured, low-income individuals." Clinton, a Democrat, urged Leavitt to l ook into the matter, and said she would explore legislative options. New York's other senator, Democrat Chuck Schumer, said at a press confere nce in New York City that he hoped the issue could be resolved without a bill, but he's prepared to offer one if needed. "While I believe that HHS did not do this intentionally, when the governm ent pays for Viagra for sex offenders, it could well hurt many innocent people," he said. New York auditors are reviewing whether other prescription drugs for sexu al dysfunction are being reimbursed by Medicaid for convicted sex offend ers, Hevesi spokesman David Neustadt said. While the auditors didn't review the situation on Viagra reimbursement by Medicaid in other states, he said they have no indication that the poli cies are different elsewhere.
The informati on contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewr itten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associ ated Press.
|
http://csua.com/feed/