Viagra is out again.
Gov. Bob McDonnell has sided with his Democratic predecessor, and against lawmakers, in yanking coverage for erectile dysfunction drugs in public employee health plans out of the two-year budget.
The removal sets up the tantalizing — though unlikely — prospect of a floor debate this week over Virginia’s most snicker-inducing line item. Viagra has been covered under the state worker insurance plan since its arrival on the market in the late 1990s. Former Gov. Tim Kaine proposed in December to remove coverage for all erectile dysfunction medication. The General Assembly, as it retooled Kaine’s budget, quietly reinstated the drugs with no explanation. The state expects to save $7 million a year by cutting out coverage for erectile dysfunction drugs and nonsedating antihistamines, as well as creating a new 90-day maintenance drug network. The legislature will reconvene for a single-day session on Wednesday to consider McDonnell’s proposed amendments and give final approval to the budget plan, which covers state spending for the coming two fiscal years.
