An audit of the state's Medicaid program has found more than $900,000 was spent on prohibited payments for erectile dysfunction drugs, including payments made for 47 registered sex offenders.
According to New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office most of the payments were made through the Managed Care Organizations utilized by the State Department of Health. Federal and State law prohibit Medicaid payments for erectile dysfunction drugs unless the drug is being prescribed for other uses such as to treat for prostate enlargement. The Comptroller's report also indicates that in some cases, it is possible that the drugs were actually being acquired to later be sold on the black market.
The state’s Medicaid program paid more than $60,000 for treatments for the 47 sex offenders, according to the audit.
DiNapoli's audit found that lax oversight was in part to blame.
In responses to the audit, the State Department of Health disputed some of the Comptroller's findings but also agreed to take corrective action.