Bill seeks to prevent Medicare from purchasing penis pumps, would save $44M annually

Published December 4, 2014 8:10pm ET



Congress has a plan to pay for a new bill to help the disabled, and it involves penis pumps.

Specifically, House Republicans introduced a plan Tuesday that would prevent Medicare from paying for “vacuum pump systems,” which help treat erectile dysfunction.

Currently, Medicare covers penis pump systems for seniors who suffer from erectile dysfunction, which is ironic considering it does not pay for Viagra and other drugs that combat the condition.

The proposal would save taxpayers $44 million annually, money that would go toward a bill called the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act that passed the House of Representatives Wednesday.

The ABLE Act would provide disabled individuals with tax-advantaged savings accounts that would help them save for education, health care and other costs.

Between 2006 and 2011, Medicare funded nearly 475,000 penis pumps. At $450 a pop, that’s quite a bit of money to pump into, well, pumps.

And, of course, Medicare’s penis pump spending is rather irresponsible. It drops over two times the amount of money per pump than do other federal agencies.

H/T Washington Times