GM spends $17 million annually on drugs like Viagra

[Triana]

UNBELIEVABLE. Is BIRTH CONTROL covered under their labor agreement too? VIBRATORS and other sex toys? This is absolutely rediculous. These cretins deserve to go out of business - unfortunately, it hurts a lot of decent people when they do. Bastards.

_ _ _ _ _

DETROIT (AP) — Viagra, Cialis and other erectile dysfunction drugs are costing General Motors Corp. a hefty sum.

The company spends $17 million annually on such drugs, GM spokeswoman Sharon Baldwin told The Detroit News.

Although that's a small fraction of GM's overall health care costs, which in 2005 were more than $5 billion, company executives often use the example to illustrate what they say are out-of-control health care costs.

...

Viagra is covered under GM's labor agreement with the United Auto Workers union, as well as benefit plans for salaried workers.

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/business-8/1145204955128080.xml&storylist=newsmichigan

[LuckyLib]

1. And you can bet your booty that "preventative" care for women,

i.e., mammograms, are not covered. Many health plans now require that women pay for this annual exam. But dammit, those limp ones will be taken care of!!!

[Crazy Dave]

3. Better reply than mine

:thumbsup:

[Triana]

4. No doubt...

...makes it rather obvious what runs these corprat entities - mysogenists. Not that this is any big news...but it's disgusting nonetheless.

$17 Million!?!?!

These shitheads will spend that kind of money so men can have mo-better sex while my elderly mother has her retirement bennies and insurance cut?

:mad:

[Crazy Dave]

2. It's probably in the union's contract

Take their Viagra away, they threaten to go on strike. I hope equal opportunity is in place for women who want cosmetic surgery.

[Triana]

9. I say let 'em go then...

byeeeeeee!

[ShaneGR]

20. Ya, the complaint here would be with the union, not GM

This was negotiated by the Union during their last round of contract renewals. GM is actually complaining about it now.

[texastoast]

5. Welcome to corporate priorities

At a firm I worked for in 1998 or so, when Viagra became available, it was signed right onto the health care plan. But birth control remains uncovered with that firm to this day.

Equality is still an issue.

[MindPilot]

13. I never have understood that

From a purely financial perspective it doesn't make sense: an insurance company is happy to pay all the expenses of pregnancy, birth and health care for the new kid and mom, but has no interest in preventing those expenses.

[Triana]

18. I can't figure that one either...

...go figure.

:shrug:

Penny-wise, pound-foolish, as the old saying goes.

[MindPilot]

6. I think their money would be better spent giving us old guys Corvettes.

0 to 60 in under five seconds will cure any case of ED.

[Triana]

7. It probably would cost about the same too (n/t)

[notadmblnd]

8. You forgot to mention that although GM's health plans

cover the cost of Viagra (which individually cost about 10.00 a tablet), the quantity they will pay for is limited. And believe it or not, there are valid medical reasons for a man to take viagra. I'm not saying that there isn't abuse, people take all kinds of prescription drugs for recreational use. Drugs like viagra isn't the reason for the automakers going broke.

[Triana]

10. $17 Million?!

Maybe that's not a lot of money to a behemoth like GM but that money could be better spent on something else. To the rest of us peasants, like my old Mom on a measely fixed income, this is a boatload of dough and this is just wasteful, piggish spending borne of bassackwards and mysogenist priorities.

How do they *verify* that men getting this stuff on their insurance actually NEED it for health (NOT mo-better sex) reasons?

Bet they don't. I still say - what a waste.

[notadmblnd]

11. here's another paragraph in the article

The world's largest automaker lost $10.6 billion last year and says skyrocketing health care costs are partly to blame. GM provides health care for 1.1 million employees, retirees and dependents.

Do the math, it's not so much.

[SoCalDem]

24. They want to dump the retirees...

Retirees gave UP money in their pockets every time they voted to forego raises in lieu of "enhanced retirement benefits".. The companies STOLE the money they could have had in raises all those years..

It's pure theft.. The workers promised to work for less "now", in echange for benefits when they retired".. They chose deferred benefits, and no one saw the companies complaining then..But of course the companies kept on spending the money they should have been protecting, and now they want to reneg on their promises..

It's too bad someone does not go back over those contracts and sue for the moeny stolen from the workers.. if the benefits they PAID for are no longer going to go to them, they should at least get their money back :)

[Triana]

25. That's where my Mom is...

...waiting to get dumped by GM.

[unblock]

12. this is 0.3% of their costs

this is sensationalism at its finest. whine about something insignificant but visceral and use it as an excuse to make drastic cuts.

this is what banana republicans did with social services. they whined about "welfare cheats", even though actual welfare is a very small portion of the budget. they whined about mapplethorpe's art. and they used these excuses to completely gut major programs, cutting out vastly more than the original "problem".

even though there are solid medical reasons for these medicines, there is recreational potential and therefore it is an easy target. but does anyone really think they will be happy to knock off 0.3% of their costs and leave it at that? hardly. they will use this as an excuse to try to completely gut their health care commitments to their workers, eliminating or reducing coverage for FAR more than just the headline medicines.

it's all part of the negotiating, trying to make the union look bad for trying to keep the company to its commitments.

[Triana]

17. Of course I wouldn't put that past GM, not at all..

...however the Viagra coverage is just rediculous and ought to be removed. Just my .02. And if it's the Union that demands it then they ought to be told (sorry!) go jump in a lake.

Is GM manipulating public opinion to justify healthcare cuts/elimination? No doubt! And that is the bigger picture here.

It doesn't negate, however, the utter stupidity of Viagra coverage at ANY cost - UNLESS the Union also demands that GM cover birth control, sterilization, RU486, and sex toys. I'm sure they do not.

[unblock]

23. not sure about gm's, but many plans cover birth control and sterilization

if ru486 isn't covered it's most likely because it's a very specific hot button political issue.
sex toys are a tough sell under health care plans unless you can show a medical reason for needing them.

viagra can be (ab)used recreationally, but there are good and clear medical reasons for prescribing it.

[NNN0LHI]

14. Another union bashing thread eh?

I see why some people don't see the need for Viagra. They get their rocks off from bashing unions instead of fucking.

Don

[MindPilot]

16. Not bashing unions so much as the men in the unions.... eom

[Triana]

19. Yes exactly.

That's my point when I say they most likely do not demand coverage for birth control, RU-486, condoms, sex toys, etc. etc. but they demand coverage for Viagra?

I'm not against Unions. I am against unfair and frivolous healthcare coverage - for ANYONE - no matter who or what they are. Not that GM or this union is the only instance of it. Hardly.

[Lance_Boyle]

22. the distinction is this:

In its simplest form - Viagra and the other ED meds are drugs prescribed to treat a known medical disorder. RU486 and "the pill" are not prescribed to treat any medical disorder. Believe it or not, this is not a value judgement about the comparative worth of the drugs - it is simply a reflection of the structure of the insurance system to more readily fund treatment for disorders than preventive measures.

Not saying it's right, but only that there *is* a reason why ED meds are typically covered and birth control measures are not, and that reason is not "'cuz old guys with limp dicks hate all women." Please don't forget that ED has a quality of life impact on the female partners of affected men, as well. Some of us too readily accept the view of all things sex-related as "men vs women." ED treatment is valuable for both partners is a monogamous relationship.

[Triana]

26. so do they cover drugs to help women

increase their sex drive? Isn't that also a 'known medical disorder'? Vibrators would fall into that category however they are not considered anything useful for a 'known medical disorder'. Old guys with limp dicks pumped up by Viagra can cause unintended pregnancies as well as any other ones can. They can also cause STDs and they can also be part of rape. Young guys who use Viagra for mo-better-mo-often can do the same.

I am not buying that ED is a 'known medical disorder' more deserving of being covered by insurance than the pill, sex toys, treatments for women's sexual or reproductive issues, or anything else. Sorry. Doesn't wash and it all boils down to attitudes about the value of womens vs men's sexuality and they are unfair - always have been.

I don't give a frick whether it's GM or the Unions. I blame them both, frankly. And the medical, insurance businesses and society in general for these rediculous one-sided attitudes.

[TexasLawyer]

15. Universal Health coverage

I never understood why GM and other major employers never got behind single payer health coverage. It would have been good business.

[area51]

21. Hear, hear!

Universal healthcare would benefit all businesses, large and small, & make them more competitive.

[SoCalDem]

27. Because they never planned on paying out benefits to all the retirees

and they could get them to "give back" raises by SAYING they would get it in the form of retirement funds..

With universal care, they would have actually had to GIVE the employees all they were "earning"..WHILE they were working..

[BiggJawn]

28. Birth controls and hormones are covered under my plan.

Boner Pills are NOT.

So THERE.

"...as well as benefit plans for salaried workers."

Care to guess how much of that 17 million goes to upper-mangle-ment?

[Triana]

29. that actually makes more sense...

...from a cost perspective. How much of that 17M goes to upper manglement? I wouldn't be surprised if it all did.

[BiggJawn]

32. Yeah, it does.

Maybe I'd feel diferent if I had ED, but Family Planning and avoiding hot flashes is more valuable, IMO.

[elehhhhna]

30. viagra actually treats some heart problems. let's not go all

zero-tolerance here, 'kay?

[Telly Savalas]

31. GM had revenues amounting to $192.6 billion in 2005.

To put it in SAT analogy terms:

GM's revenues:GM's Viagra budget::My annual income:Resale price of the gum stuck to the bottom of my shoe.

GM's management is trying to earn a spot in the Whiny-Butt Hall of Fame by complaining about this.