We complain about health care costs – and then we continually expand what qualifies as covered medical costs under government insurance and mandates to the private sector.

In California, for example, gay people who want to have children are entitled by law to have their reproductive medical costs paid by their group insurance. Why? Equality!

Because straight people who can’t have children have the right to coverage by law, so now do gay people — even though straights must prove they are biologically infertile, a mandate that does not apply to their gay brothers and sisters. And with that, the cost of health insurance rises a notch.

For years, Medicare has paid countless millions to pay for mechanical interventions to allow elderly men to have sexual intercourse.

But now — wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles — that benefit has ended.

Some are complaining, including the NYT’s columnist on aging, Paula Span. From, “Sex Never Dies, But a Medicare Option for Older Men Does”:

Some men who opt for treatment can afford to pay out of pocket for Levitra, Cialis or Viagra — the last has a wholesale price of $38 per pill, according to Pfizer — or for vacuum erection systems that retail for $125 to $500.
But it is fair to say that many thousands of modest­income Medicare beneficiaries will now forgo treatment for erectile dysfunction, and fair to ask if this policy makes sense. “I think it reflects an antiquated concept about the importance of sexuality in a person’s life,” Dr. Sharlip said.

Yes, it is fair. As the old rock song had it, you can’t always get what you want. The idea that we all have a right to equal outcomes is pernicious.

Beyond that, our government is broke! Rather than pushing the entitlement to “I get whatever I want because I want it!” button, we should applaud that Congress actually backtracked on the provision of an unessential benefit!

Why did Congress act? It was a matter of borrowing from Peter to pay Paul:

Representative Ander Crenshaw, Republican of Florida, needed to finance the laudable-sounding ABLE Act, which allows disabled people to set up tax­-free savings accounts for housing, education and transportation. He found nine items to cut from Medicare and other parts of the federal budget, including the pumps. Under the act, which drew bipartisan support, vacuum erection devices won’t be covered by Medicare until Congress authorizes coverage for erectile dysfunction drugs.
Taking benefits from one vulnerable population to bankroll benefits for another has not exactly set off a furor. A statement from Mr. Crenshaw said, “My office received no outside objection to the provision from constituents, groups or organizations as the bill moved to passage and was signed into law, and has received none since.”

Perhaps that is because Americans — as opposed to the ruling class and special interest pleaders — know that we have to set priorities. This one seems apt to me.

Sex is great, but enabling intercourse shouldn’t be in the same category (with a few exceptions) as treating cancer or paying for a hip replacement. People can live just fine if they can’t get it on.

If gramps wants to relive his honeymoon for his 50th anniversary — and we are talking about my, my, my generation (to quote another song of my era) — more power to him. But we should no more pay for his pump than his hotel room.

Next: Let’s cut an unessential benefit for the sake of cutting the budget, not just as an offset to pay for something else.