Things are looking up for Montgomery County’s aging government workers: The County Council wants to keep the little blue pill off the chopping block. County Executive Ike Leggett proposed eliminating taxpayer-funded coverage for erectile dysfunction drugs in Montgomery’s employee health insurance program.
However, the council has stepped in on behalf of those needing a little help in the bedroom.
Under a new council blueprint, county employees would be eligible for six doses of such drugs a month. Previously, employees had no limits on the number they could get.
| Arbitrator backs Leggett against firefighters union |
| County Executive Ike Leggett did not break the law when he submitted a budget that ignored collective bargaining negotiations, an arbitrator ruled Tuesday. |
| Labor arbitrator Homer C. La Rue ruled in favor of Leggett against the county’s firefighters union, which, with other public employees unions, sued the county executive. |
| Leggett argued a $300 million shortfall kept him from honoring provisions negotiated with labor leaders. |
| Though the ruling certainly affects future union negotiations, the County Council has the final word on budgeting decisions and is not bound by arbitration. – Brian Hughes |
Some have scoffed at the county funding so-called lifestyle drugs as the jurisdiction faces a $300 million shortfall ?and raises property taxes and slashes public services to fill the gap.
But council members defended the decision, likely to be approved Wednesday.
“This should not be trivialized,” said Councilman Marc Elrich, D-at large. “I know it’s an easy headline. But this is a quality of life issue. This can affect relationships.”
“I think the council should not get into the business of picking what maladies are covered by prescriptions,” added Councilman Phil Andrews, D-Gaithersburg/Rockville. “Our focus should be on what the cost is.”
Council staff says the lifestyle plan mirrors that used by the public schools system, saving the county hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Leggett’s office is not buying that argument.
“It doesn’t belong in the budget; we thought it wasn’t justified,” said Leggett spokesman Patrick Lacefield, who added that eliminating coverage for the drugs would save $400,000 annually.
He said that even without the coverage, county employees would be eligible for lower-priced pills because the county receives them in bulk.
The county is targeting health care and retirement benefits for general government, public safety and school employees in a plan they estimate will save $33 million next fiscal year and roughly $273 million over the next six years.
Walt Bader, chief negotiator for the Fraternal Order of Police union, said he didn’t appreciate the extra scrutiny on Viagra for his officers.
“It’s just a ridiculous thing to propose,” he said of Leggett’s efforts. “There’s other drugs out there too, such as skin tightening, covered in this category — there’s a whole bunch of drugs.”
