VIAGRA: Chronicle Urges Kaiser Permanente To Reconsider Coverage Decision
A San Francisco Chronicle editorial takes issue with Kaiser Permanente's decision not to cover the blockbuster impotence drug Viagra. The Chronicle notes that "insurance companies have been wrestling with the question of whether the magic pill is essential to good health, or an extravagance." Despite the $9-per-pill cost of Viagra and Kaiser's concern that covering the drug "could cost up to $100 million a year," the editorial concludes: "As much as Viagra has become fodder for stand-up comics, our non-medical opinion is that sex is part of a healthy life. We urge Kaiser to reconsider" (6/20).
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