Why do you feel we are entitled to choose whatever medical device we want and have someone else pay for it?
Medicaid and Medicare are both welfare programs designed to provide medical care to either indigents or the elderly. Cost management is necessary as they both are growing faster than any other government entitlement. Do a google search and you can easily find unbelievable examples of fraud an waste in both programs and since the recipients pay little or nothing for coverage/benefits, they generally don't care about costs.
If you want full choice, buy your own.
Here is an interesting read on the entitlement mindset (which is on display in this forum by the many duplicate posts of this alert on chairs):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2005Mar23.html