And we wonder why GM is broke….now they want YOU & ME, the lowly
taxpayer, to bail them out!!





GM Spends $17 Million Per Year on Viagra

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

Lifestyle drugs -- chiefly Viagra -- are costing General Motors $17
million dollars a year and the cost is passed along to car, truck and
SUV consumers. The blue pill is covered under GM's labor agreement
with United Auto Workers, as well as benefit plans for salaried
employees.

GM executives estimate health care adds $1,500 to the price of each
vehicle but they do not break out how much of the premium is caused by
erectile dysfunction expenses. GM provides health care for 1.1 million
employees, retirees and dependents and is the world's largest private
purchaser of Viagra.

GM recently raised the co-pay for erectile dysfunction drugs to $18
under a new agreement with the UAW and the company has also pared
benefits for salaried workers.

The automaker spends almost $5.6 billion each year on health care.
While lifestyle drugs are a small fraction of the total medical bill,
every health care expense is added into the price of every new vehicle
and is a drag on the struggling goliath's earnings.

Given the large number of aging autoworkers in the U.S., the
industry's Viagra tab and bill for other erectile dysfunction drugs is
certain to continue rising.

Neither Ford nor Chrysler will disclose the amount spent on erectile
dysfunction drugs.

While many government and company health plans have eliminated
impotence drugs from coverage plans, GM has more than two retirees for
every active worker on its rolls and must negotiate eliminating the
drugs from the union health plan with the UAW.