Where Cost, Medical Necessity, and Morality Meet: Should US Government Insurance Programs Pay for Erectile Dysfunction Drugs?

The authors discuss whether Medicare and Medicaid should reimburse phosphodiesterase inhibitor drugs for erectile dysfunction, which cost over $1 billion annually worldwide, by analyzing the justifications and arguments for and against coverage as case studies. They conclude that coverage decisions should be based primarily on clinical effectiveness and cost considerations rather than moral attitudes toward sexual performance.