Viagra for All: The Political Backlash Continues

Interesting item in the National Journal that caught our eye: the Congressional vote in 2005 to cut off federal funding for erectile dysfunction therapies has become an issue in the Missouri governor's race.

Rep. Kenny Hulshof, one of the candidates vying for the Republican nomination in Missouri, was among the minority who voted to continue paying for Viagra and the other ED therapies in Medicaid and Medicare. State Treasurer Sarah Steelman is using that vote against him, including in this campaign ad.

As we wrote at the time of the vote, the debate over federal coverage of Viagra is more than a slap in the face to the companies in that market. It is also an object lesson in the consequences of the backlash against direct-to-consumer advertising, as well as the impact of Congressional meddling in federal coverage policies now that pharmaceuticals are included in the Medicare program.

Three years later, the political potency (no pun intended) of the issue is undiminished. And Big Pharma's reputation continues to be intertwined with the ED market to an extent that should make almost everyone uncomfortable.

Bear in mind that these are two Republican candidates, neither of whom is defending the proposition that taxpayer money should support the ED market. As the Journal reports, Hulshof is fighting back against Steelman by arguing that she also voted to support Medicaid funding for Viagra at the state level.

Was it really less than a decade ago that Bob Dole was doing commercials on behalf of Pfizer about ED, and effectively defining the market as medical--not recreational? Dole, we think, is still a Republican hero in the heartland. Of course, he is from Kansas.