Taxpayers paid $1.9 million for city workers' erectile dysfunction

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Taxpayers paid $1.9 million for city workers' erectile dysfunction
City urged to cap claims at $500 a year
By Shawn Jeffords, Political Bureau Chief
First posted: Tuesday, October 25, 2016 08:28 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, October 25, 2016 09:05 PM EDT
TORONTO - Need a “little blue pill” to fire up your love life?
A City of Toronto employee might be your best bet to score some erectile dysfunction meds. According to a new report from the city’s auditor general, Toronto’s municipal workers and their dependents claimed and were reimbursed for $1.9 million worth of drugs like Viagra and Cialis in 2015.
The rates have the financial watchdog raising “red flags” and recommending the city take “immediate action” to address what could be excessive claims to insurer Manulife.
According to the report from auditor general Beverly Romeo-Beehler, dozens of workers claimed more than the maximum annual dosage in a year. In all, the report makes 18 recommendations, which Romeo-Beehler estimates could save $900,000 a year and recover an additional $180,000.
Audit committee chairman Stephen Holyday said that’s strong language from the watchdog.
“You have to ask the question when there’s more than a pill a day, why are they having such large prescriptions?” Holyday said.
According to the report, which will head to the audit committee Friday, 37 claimants were reimbursed more than $3,000 in 2015 for erectile dysfunction pills. Five claimants were reimbursed more than $5,000 in 2015.
The auditor says the city could save $750,000 a year by capping claims for the pills at $500 a year. Currently, city workers can claim as much Viagra or Cialis as they like — and taxpayers foot the bill through city-funded health coverage.
“We don’t have that for glasses, we don’t have that for dentistry, we don’t have that for many things,” Holyday said. “Maybe we should examine it.”
The auditor looked at reimbursement data collected between 2013 and 2015 and also found “potentially excessive claims” for controlled substances like opioids and sedatives.
According to the report, 16 claimants had an equivalent of two- to five-year supplies of oxycodone in at least one year. Another 32 claimants had the equivalent of 19 months to about 6 1/2 years worth of fentanyl patches in a 12-month period.
“Given the frequency and the potentially excessive level of controlled substances dispensed and the tendency for misuse, in our view, they constitute potential ‘red flags’ that warrant further follow up by city staff with Manulife,” the report says.
sjeffords@postmedia.com
Taxpayers paid $1.9 million for city workers' erectile dysfunction | Toronto & G

 

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City workers' erectile dysfunction use 'extraordinary': Tory
By Shawn Jeffords, Political Bureau Chief
First posted: Wednesday, October 26, 2016 05:01 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, October 26, 2016 08:23 PM EDT
TORONTO - Mayor John Tory says he’s invited all manner of athletes to his office to celebrate their impressive achievements.
But he said he might have to roll out the red carpet for the city employees who claim to have used 500 erectile dysfunction pills in a year.
Tory called that level of apparent use of the pills — uncovered in an auditor general’s report — “extraordinary.”
“I would perhaps even invite the person in for a visit,” he said. “But I would say that (usage) goes beyond what the citizens of Toronto would say is reasonable.”
Tory couldn’t resist having a little fun with the auditor general’s report, which found that the city paid out $1.9 million in benefits claims for erectile dysfunction medication in 2015.
“I was going to say it stiffens my resolve, but I shouldn’t use that word today,” he joked.
The report, which comes to the audit committee on Friday, raises “red flags” and recommends the city take “immediate action” to address what could be excessive claims to insurer Manulife.
According to the report from Beverly Romeo-Beehler, dozens of workers claimed more than the maximum annual dosage in a year. In all, the report makes 18 recommendations, which the auditor general estimates could save $900,000 a year and recover an additional $180,000.
Tory said if an investigation turns up evidence of fraud, the city should deal with it “on a very aggressive basis.”
“Anyone who is found to have defrauded the system should be dealt with very harshly,” he said, adding that could include termination.
“We cannot, in a circumstance where we are the trustees of the public’s money, allow it to be abused, whether it’s for Viagra or any other drug,” he added.
The report also recommends the city cap claims on the pills at $500 a year. Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong said that is a reasonable solution to prevent excessive use.
“I think, seriously, we do need to look at a cap. ... The city pays for these benefits, the taxpayers pay for these benefits and drugs that aren’t absolutely necessary shouldn’t be paid for out of the public purse,” Minnan-Wong said.
sjeffords@postmedia.com
City workers' erectile dysfunction use 'extraordinary': Tory | Toronto & GTA | N

 

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Erectile dysfunction claims could raise police involvement: AG
By Shawn Jeffords, Political Bureau Chief
First posted: Friday, October 28, 2016 08:54 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, October 28, 2016 08:57 PM EDT
TORONTO - Toronto Police could be called in to investigate excessive benefits claims for Viagra, Cialis and other controlled substances through the city’s health plan.
That according to city auditor general Beverly Romeo-Beehler, who said Friday during an audit committee meeting that any instances of fraud of the city-sponsored benefits would be forwarded to the police. While she cautioned that her audit of the health plan lacked the detail to uncover instances of fraud, some of the claims raised “red flags” that need to explored.
She said she will receive individual claim information from the city’s insurance provider, Manulife, in the coming weeks and will investigate. In the meantime, the audit committee adopted all 18 of the auditor’s recommendations on the plan.
“When we have a case where there is a potential for fraud, the police would be involved,” Romeo-Beehler said.
Earlier this week, a report from her office revealed that some employees were making claims to the benefit plan for more than the recommended annual dosage of several brands of erectile dysfunction drugs. The audit also revealed “excessive” claims for opioids and sedatives. Both give rise to concerns that some of the 80,000 city employees, or their dependents, who use the plan are defrauding it or are addicted to the meds.
In 2015, the city spent $1.9 million on erectile dysfunction medication for employees. There is currently no cap on how much an employee can claim on the plan.
According to Romeo-Beehler, the city’s erectile dysfunction pill claim levels are three or four times that of other Manulife client claims. If the city created a cap of $500 a year, it could save $750,000. Cialis is the fourth-largest cost driver in the plan, she said.
Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon said the city needs to investigate the claims.
“Unless you’re going in the Guinness Book of World Records or some feats of strength competition, how could one person possibly be using that many erectile dysfunction drugs in the course of a year?” she said.
“So, what’s happening with them? Are they being sold? We need to investigate that.”
CUPE Local 79 president Tim Maguire said the city has the “right and responsibility” to investigate any sign of excessive claims on the health plan.
“The city should be taking action,” he said. “If there’s fraud, they need to take action on fraud and that could involve labour relations at the city, it could involve the police.”
sjeffords@postmedia.com
Erectile dysfunction claims could raise police involvement: AG | Toronto & GTA |