GM spends $17million per year on VIAGRA, largest private purchaser

[Holly_Hobby]

(This article is old, but interesting none the less)

April 18, 2006

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.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/04/gm_viagra.html

[Dennis Donovan]

1. A horny worker is a happy worker!

...or any variant of "hard worker" or "working hard...";)

[FiveGoodMen]

5. Working hard and THEREFORE hardly working?

[TomInTib]

2. Maybe because their cars are buzzkillers.

When I get out of my Porsche, I am ready for anything.

[LiberalFighter]

3. I call bullshit on that. I don't have a prescription for Viagra.

[Uben]

9. Get ready for a 4 hour erection!

...and a looooong game of ring toss!

[Skittles]

17. don't need two hands to carry donuts either

no INDEED

[JJ]

4. More anti union agit-prop

They are going to use the automaker bailout to smear the unions as much as possible.

Thanks for helping them. Fifth column much?

[Dennis Donovan]

7. I agree...

...about it being used to smear the UAW.

[Holly_Hobby]

11. My husband is a union member (not automotive)

They're corrupt, take deductions for which they have no permission (lobbyists), use his money for 60 days without paying interest, favoritism, name it, they do it. The largest union employer here is allowed to violate contract after contract. If employees complain, they are laid off and never get called to work again. My husband's union is national and it's a CROCK. They also pay for Viagra, but will not pay for birth control or mammograms. They have gone so far as to forge signatures for permission to sell personal information to life insurance companies, auto insurance companies, etc.

Are you union?

[doc03]

15. I'm in Ohio too sounds like the same Union I belong to

I got hired back in 1970 and after 38 years the leadership still has the same last names. The average guy that goes to work everyday and does his job basically has no rights but if one of the slackers get in trouble the Union fights tooth and nail for them.

[boomerbust]

18. Holly Hobby Hubby

Should go out and get a non union job.

[JJ]

27. Obviously we need to ban all unions.

Wal-mart has lots of non union jobs if the union job is so bad.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

20. Do You Not Agree That UAW Agreements Are Part Of The Problem?

Not nearly as big of a problem as GM's business plan and shoddy management, but can you deny that the UAW in some way is a contributing factor?

In order for GM to regain health there are several things that will have to be retooled and restructured in the UAW agreements.

[boomerbust]

21. The UAW

Gave many consessions the last contract. Including the take over of their members health care costs.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

23. That Was A Drop In The Bucket Of What's Necessary.

[boomerbust]

24. Really?

Wasn't that GM's biggest complaint. $2,000 of the price of every car was employee health care costs.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

25. There's Far More Costs Associated With UAW.

The health care costs require even further concession, and there needs to be some contract negotiations as well such as being more lenient on what jobs workers are able to do. There are many full time salaries paid to workers who have almost nothing to do all day, but are there as the only ones allowed to perform a certain task, that doesn't need to be done often. Even though the task could be done by others easily, they aren't allowed to due to the union rules that require only the specific employees to do the duty. Things like that need to stop. Jobs need to be consolidated and wasteful inefficient jobs like that need to be done away with.

For GM to become competitive again, there needs to not only be new management and a completely revamped business plan, but also a revamped union and union mentality. The changes need to address all ends of the workings of GM.

[SmileyRose]

26. An example from a current Ford/GM UAW plant?

This existed at one time - not in a long time.

In fact, this is exactly why the Gen bank was created.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

6. Huh... at our shop we use ether to get things started. n/t

[Uben]

8. So that's why Chevy's are a "hard" sell

No wonder GM stock is becoming worthless! When you buy a car these days, they really stick it to you. Now we know why!

[kimmerspixelated]

10. It's true.

The auto industry has fallen on hard times!



****Men have to always have sex and hot cars or they feel worthless!

[doc03]

12. Wow I'm still sore from the last GM vehicle I

bought way back in 1977, they didn't need any Viagra back then.

[catnhatnh]

13. As long as they want to discuss drug costs...

...and then reference Viagra, let's ask these BASTARDS how much they pay for blood pressure meds and ulcer meds....since these are more closely causually related to the working conditions enforced by these rich whining thugs...I'm betting the cost of Viagra will seem minor. Fuck these asswipes.

[Swede]

14. Can you get it over the counter?

Only if I take three.

[SmileyRose]

16. This is an absolutely idiotic article.

The UAW nor GM stipulates what drugs health insurance companies cover. They buy a certain level of medical care and you get what you get, based on the marketplace and various state laws. I know a hell of a lot of UAW retirees who worked themselves into physical disability, gave up income while working to have a pension and medical care when they were too used up to work anymore - and excuse me but FUCK anyone who bitches as if these people have no right to the pension and medical care THEY EARNED.

You want to bitch about the price of cars, why not ask yourself what the cost of 100's upon 100's upon 100's of golden parachutes of former GM bigshots add to the damn price of your car.

And you know what pisses me off the most about this article? Is that it is so idiot, so propagandized that the only way I could get my anger off is to cuss.

Dammit.

[fed_up_mother]

19. The problem is drugs cost WAAAAY more than they did years ago when these

legacy costs were agreed to.

We need single payer healthcare NOW.

[SmileyRose]

22. This is not true

I have been an A/P clerk for decades, twice I've worked for pharmacy warehouses. I worked for Teldrug for 9 years and the cost they pay for nearly everything has gone way down. Generic statin drugs now cost less than $1.10 for 30 tablets - the 5 most prescribed blood pressure meds all cost less than 80 cents for a month supply, wholesale. The 5 most popular compounds for birth control pills cost less than $2 A YEAR (that's right per year).

The cost to the consumer for BRAND NAME, newest drugs - and even many generics is so high because the pharmacies can get away with it. Zocor was price out at about $300 a month. When people got generic statin for $150 they were thrilled. No one asks why they are paying $150 a month for something that wholesales at about $1.10.