Feds Try to Deny Viagara to Sex Offenders (link)Posted by Kyer at May 23, 2005 05:45 PM
May 23, 4:28 PM (ET)
By MICHAEL GORMLEYALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - The Bush administration is scrambling to find a way to close a loophole that allows convicted rapists and other high-risk sex offenders to receive Viagra at taxpayer expense.
The state comptroller's office called attention to the situation on Sunday, saying audits from 2000 through March found that 198 sex offenders in New York received Medicaid-reimbursed Viagra after their convictions. Their crimes included offenses against children as young as 2, Comptroller Alan Hevesi said.
The auditors did not review the situation in other states, but Hevesi spokesman David Neustadt said Medicaid policies on Viagra are the same across the country.
"The bottom line is, giving convicted sex offenders government-funded Viagra is like giving convicted murderers an assault rifle when they get out of jail," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. He said he would sponsor a bill to close the loophole.