Newsweek: Factchecking McCain's Viagra moment

There's more urban legend than fact in a Planned Parenthood ad attacking McCain. Summary Planned Parenthood is running a TV ad showing John McCain painfully groping for an answer to a reporter's question: "It's unfair that health insurance companies cover Viagra but not birth control. Do you have an opinion on that?" McCain had good reason to be flustered. The premise of the reporter's question is a myth. We couldn't find any data that show a disparity between health insurance companies that cover Viagra and those that cover birth control. The full range of contraceptives, in fact, are covered by more than 86 percent of private insurance plans written for employers. Analysis Early in July, a reporter on the McCain campaign bus said that "health insurance companies cover Viagra but not birth control" and asked for McCain's... [read full story]