California pays billions for erectile dysfunction and allergies through workers’ comp program
By Annie Gaus
Published April 6, 2026, 9:06 p.m. ET
Today's Video Headlines
00:28
/
00:52
Keep Watching
California is paying out billions annually through a little-known state workers’ compensation program for conditions that include sexual dysfunction, allergies and other chronic ailments — leaving Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers scrambling to revamp the troubled program.
Called the Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund, the program provides extra benefits to employees covered by state workers’ compensation who sustain an on-the-job injury.
But critics say the benefit, which is funded by taxes on employers, has spiraled wildly out of control as workers claim hefty payments of $1,700 per week for conditions such as “hypertension, sleep apnea, arthritis, diabetes, headaches, acid reflux, asthma, allergies, and sexual dysfunction,” according to an audit published last year.
“Nearly all claimants receive the state’s most generous disability benefit, $1,700 per week for life, a rarity in standard workers’ compensation,” wrote the state Legislative Analyst in a June 2025 report.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/06/us-news/california-pays-billions-for-erectile-dysfunction-and-allergy-pills/
