On November 1, 2000, just days before an important presidential election focused on health care, viewers of Star Trek: Voyager witnessed a startling episode titled “Critical Care.” In this story, the ship’s artificial intelligence doctor, known simply as “the Doctor,” is kidnapped and sold to a for-profit business managing a medical ship above a polluted planet.
Despite his desperate pleas for freedom, the Doctor is compelled to treat numerous patients suffering from serious illnesses. Coming from a society where health care is a basic right, he finds himself in a harsh reality: care is provided based on an AI’s cold calculations, favoring those deemed “valuable” and neglecting others who are considered a burden.
The imbalance hits home for the Doctor. He begins stealing medication to help the patients in desperate need but faces severe consequences when his actions are discovered, including the loss of a young patient who aspired to be a healer. Driven by anger and sorrow, he resorts to drastic measures, poisoning the hospital’s administrator to secure medicine for the neglected patients.
This episode aired just as debates about health care were heating up in the political arena. Al Gore was advocating for universal health care for children, attempting to shift focus after many children lost coverage due to previous welfare reforms. Meanwhile, George W. Bush’s agenda leaned toward privatizing Medicare. Instead of siding with either party, “Critical Care” critiqued a health system that left millions uninsured.
One of the episode’s most striking moments is the Doctor’s uncharacteristic violent response to health injustices. Upon returning to the Voyager, he learns his ethical programming is intact, raising questions about the nature of morality in the face of systemic oppression.
Fast forward to today, and “Critical Care” seems eerily prescient. It touches on current issues where insurance companies use AI to deny essential medical coverage, mirroring the stressful conditions faced by health care workers today. The episode’s quirks—like the Doctor’s navigational struggles through automated phone systems—feel all too familiar for anyone who has dealt with U.S. health care.
Looking back at “Critical Care” raises important discussions, especially in light of recent events and the public’s reactions. While some people have expressed anger towards the alleged shooter of a health insurance executive, memes circulating in support of this act reveal deeper feelings about health care inequity. It’s easy to misinterpret these expressions as just nihilistic trends, but they reflect long-standing frustrations regarding the system.
Films like Dog Day Afternoon and John Q. have similarly captured public outrage over health care struggles. In these stories, characters are driven to desperate measures by a system that fails them. Interestingly, though John Q. was fictional, it echoes real sentiments around health care access. People cheer the characters in these stories, recognizing their fight against an unjust system.
A reality check is provided by watching these narratives unfold. Most young people today do not seem indifferent to issues of life and death. Instead, they express anxiety over systemic injustices, from health care disparities to police violence. When I discuss “Critical Care” in my classes, many students, regardless of their backgrounds, connect its themes to the injustices we see today.
In a memorable scene from John Q., a friend of the protagonist makes a powerful statement against the inequities of the system, saying, “It’s not someone who’s out of whack; it’s something.” This sentiment resonates deeply across the political spectrum, highlighting widespread frustration with the current state of health care.
The challenge lies in transforming this collective anger into action. In my teachings, I emphasize the importance of understanding the history of health care struggles in the U.S. – from the fight for Medicare to the racial integration of hospitals and the health justice movements led by groups like ACT UP and the Black Panthers. These histories remind us that meaningful change is possible and necessary.
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