Connecticut spends roughly $1 million per year for Viagra and generic brands of Sildenafil for active state employees and members of the Partnership Plan 2.0, according to figures received from the Office of the Comptroller.
Viagra and Sildenafil are the most widely prescribed treatment for erectile dysfunction for men, which is believed to affect about 30 million men in the United States, although the ready availability of the medication means usage has been growing globally. While the condition is largely associated with old age, younger men have also been receiving treatment.
ED can be caused by a wide range of issues – ranging from physical health like diabetes and obesity to mental health issues like depression and anxiety, and even social factors related to body image. The oft-cited Massachusetts Male Aging Study, which examined men between the ages of 40 and 70, found that 52 percent experienced some form of impotence.
Between 2019 and 2022, 12,994 active state employees and members of the state’s Partnership Plan 2.0 have been prescribed Viagra or one of its generic substitutes costing $4.1 million.
That amounts to an average number of 3,248 utilizers per year and an average cost of $1.04 million. For the year 2022, alone, 4,771 active state employees and partnership members were prescribed either Viagra or Sildenafil for erectile dysfunction treatment.
However, the number of prescriptions filled has remained steady, hovering around the average of 15,169 for all four years. The number of prescriptions in 2022 was only slightly higher, but not significant.
For the year 2022, there were roughly 74,927 active state and municipal employees covered under Connecticut’s health plan and Partnership Plan, according to the state’s OPEB report and figures from the Healthcare Cost Containment Committee, meaning that treatment for ED in 2022 hovered around 6.3 percent – well below often cited statistics for ED treatment.
Meanwhile, the cost to taxpayers for the treatments in 2022 trended downward, amounting to $850,837, a 23 percent decrease in cost compared to the previous three years. By far, most of the prescriptions and costs were for generic brands. The Comptroller’s Office said competition among generic brands was driving down the cost overall.
Connecticut Comptroller Sean Scanlon said the office does not control benefit coverage, but rather administers the benefits negotiated by management and labor, but actively seeks to get the best cost on behalf of taxpayers.
“The Office continues to seek to administer those benefits at the lowest cost to the taxpayers with the best possible service to state employees,” Scanlon wrote in an emailed response. “For prescription drugs, the office seeks to ensure the plan receives the best possible discounts on all covered prescription drugs.”
Connecticut has the third highest rate of prescriptions for erectile dysfunction in the country, just behind Hawaii and Massachusetts, according to a 2018 analysis by GoodRx Health, possibly due to Connecticut’s aging population – the median age is 41, the seventh highest in the country – or generally more openness regarding sexual health.
Researchers believe that more men are affected by ED than actually come forward for treatment, including younger men. Lauren Viera, office manager for Pregenzer Urology with offices West Hartford and Enfield says the rate for ED treatment has remained steady for the past seven years she has worked in urology.
“It’s always been kind of steady,” Viera said, adding that perhaps physicians that don’t specialize in urology have seen increased numbers, but not their office. “I wouldn’t say anything that’s like ‘wow, we’ve seen a ton more patients.’ I wouldn’t say that.”
Dr. Katherine Rocker of the Yale School of Medicine who specializes in ED treatment also says she hasn’t seen an increase in cases but does see a large number of men under 65 years old for ED.
“I do think that openness and recognition that this is a true medical and health issues associated with other medical and health issues is increasing,” Rotker said in an email. “As to the cause in younger men, I see a lot of men under 65 with many medical co-morbidities such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity that maybe accelerate the onest of erectile dysfunction. I also see many younger men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction which is a physical problem that can occur due to stress and anxiety.”
The numbers for Connecticut’s Sildenafil and Viagra prescriptions paled in comparison to what the state is currently spending on obesity drugs – obesity is considered a factor in causing ED. The Wall Street Journal found the state was spending roughly $30 million per year for new weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
The market for ED drugs was valued at $2.6 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow to $5.1 billion by 2032 as the medications become more readily available worldwide, according to Allied Market Research. The Food and Drug Administration also recently approved an over-the-counter topical treatment for ED.
**This article was updated with comments from Dr. Katherine Rotker**
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
Does this article have a purpose beyond shaming state employees? Are ED meds a significant driver of state employee healthcare costs? Is CT unique in the amount it spends on ED meds for state employees? The answers to either or both of those questions could have made this an interesting article. Otherwise it’s just mindless bashing of state government.
Hey Gregg, CII Managing Editor Conner Drigotas here. There is certainly no shame in getting the medicine you need to lead a better quality of life. It is also vital for people to know how their money is being spent, hence this article.
Regarding your two points: Marc pointed out spending in comparison to the spent $30M on obesity drugs recently covered in WSJ (paragraph 14). He also noted that Connecticut is the third highest rate of prescriptions for erectile dysfunction in the country, just behind Hawaii and Massachusetts (paragraph 11).
I hope that makes the article more interesting for you. Our coverage is intended to be interesting, informative, and cover topics you won’t see elsewhere. Please feel free to send story ideas and investigative tips to tips@insideinvestigator.org. Thank you for reading CII and wishing you a wonderful rest of your week.
Strange justification. Parting out unremarkable components of basic healthcare spending to get headline clicks is not brave incisive journalism that helps “people to know how their money is being spent”.
Medical costs for state employees are just another piece of their compensation, and nothing unusual or unexpected is revealed to readers of this article. The vague implication that a cheap (looks like $15/month?) generic prescription might be some kind of government waste foisted on taxpayers is deeply unserious.
I agree. There’s nothing interesting or noteworthy about this segment of insurance spending beyond the word “erection.” This article is beneath CII’s dignity.