I/C forced to provide Viagra for I/W

[collateraldamage5591]

My wife found a W/C case where the I/W had a head injury and the meds that were prescribed for injury caused the I/W to have E.D. problems and therefore the I/C had to pay for Viagra also.

[CRABBY]

Ha!! what happened to priorities....I give up.....I'm dumbfounded....

[frustratediw]

If ed is a consequence of the original injury or treatment of then it would be covered by WC. Happens more than you might think.

[monster]

I just found out Viagra was originally marketed for Pulmonary Hypertension but of course the greedy pharmaceutical companies saw that the "side effect" would make them much more money so it is no longer marketed as originally intended. Also because of this it is almost impossible to get anyone to cover it for Pulmonary Hypertension. The way around it is a medication named "Rivaccio". Not sure I spelled that right but medicare medi-cal will cover this particular med which I believe is a generic knock off.

[Still in Limbo]

I'm not being Prescribed Viagra, but when I changed PCP's, they did Blood work on Me, (7 Tubes), and found a Very Serious Problem I didn't even know I had! Normal Testerone Levels for a Man of My Age is around 680, and a Normal Low is 240, Mine was 80!!! I was sent to a Urologist, to check for Cancer or Prostate problems, and after Testing, it was found that My Body had Stopped Producing Testerone, causing Severe Depression, and ED, along with other Complications! The Direct Words out of My Urologists mouth were The Chronic Pain I have, along with the Medications I have to take have caused this Condition! I now have to, Every Day for the Rest of My Life, Rub a Testerone Replacement Gel on My Shoulders, the Cost being $7.99 Per Day! Thank God I have Medicare and they Covered this $230.00 a Month Bill, because the Dr. that I have doesn't want to get Involved with Fighting w/c, and won't give Me a Letter Stating the Cause for the Problem!! He said He won't Deal with the hassle of w/c, and Doesn't have Time to Be dong Depositions and such! So My deductible is $30.00 Per Month, and I have to do this Forever! This Person should check, they may be Treating the Symptom, and not the Problem!!!

[collateraldamage5591]

I just thought it was very humorous that the I/C was having to pay for it because of the choice of treatment for the head injury that they approved. Once when I was at my pulmonologist's office I saw some sample packs of Viagra behind the counter. They then explained what it was used for in the pulmonology field. Tried to talk em out of a few samples but no luck. Oh well.

[ace25]

monster Wrote:I just found out Viagra was originally marketed for Pulmonary Hypertension but of course the greedy pharmaceutical companies saw that the "side effect" would make them much more money so it is no longer marketed as originally intended. Also because of this it is almost impossible to get anyone to cover it for Pulmonary Hypertension. The way around it is a medication named "Rivaccio". Not sure I spelled that right but medicare medi-cal will cover this particular med which I believe is a generic knock off.

I don't believe that is entirely accurate. I think that the drug that ultimately became Viagra was in the testing phase as a treatment for hypertension. The "side effect" discovered was totally unexpected, but the drug proved far more effective for that purpose. I don't think it was ever marketed and "switched". The changeover came during testing. I would not call the drug companies greedy for something like that. They have improved thousands of lives with that particular discovery.

[monster]

Ace - I would agree with you that they have improved thousands of lives but I know for a fact that Viagra was and is still prescribed for hypertension. I know this for a fact because my ex husbands pulmonary doctor prescribed it for him recently becaused he was able to breathe better while on it. This was tried on him while he was an inpatient at the hospital and there was a marked improvement in his breathing. He was released with a prescription for viagra to take twice a day. Medi -cal and medicare will not cover it for pulmonsary hypertension, that is also a fact. However they will cover what I believe to be the generic brand which is 'Rivaccio.'

If Viagra did not ease pulmonary hypertension this doctor would not have prescribed it believe me. Because it is now prescribed primarily for ED many insurance companies will not cover it for any reason even the PH...they seem to think that is the way around getting it for patients who want it only for ED. So yes, I will still say the pharmaceutical companies are greedy, for by marketing it for ED they have made it dang near impossible to get Viagra for those who need it for PH. ED will NOT kill you, pulmonary hypertension will That is why I call them greedy, the people who really need it to stay alive can't get it.

Maybe I should not have said "marketed" but "developed" as PH is what it was originally intended for.

[sparkey]

I would agree that people that are on medication for a long period of time that they should be able to be prescribed something like that for ED. Even as a woman i have tried to get my primary care to give me something as i am on all sorts of drugs that make me not have the urge for sex like i should at the early age of 45.

This is suppose to be the prime time of my life, and i deal with so much pain that i am on medication 24/7 which does a number on my sex life. My primary care doctor must of thought i was joking as he just laughed when i mentioned i needed it. Since then i never mentioned it again. If i really feel the need for it later i will ask my pain management doctor what i can do to get it, or see if wc would pay for it.

[ace25]

Monster, then blame the insurance companies, not the drug companies. I think they would be happy to sell it for hypertension, as long as they get paid for it. The doctors should have prescribed the generic brand you mentioned, particularly if it is the same thing. Have him talk to his doctors.