12 Darkest Star Trek: Voyager Moments Ever
6. Medical Care Based On Calculated Value To Society - Critical Care
Of all the entries on this list, this one is the most politically inclined, with themes of healthcare and social status clearly running through the storyline in Critical Care.
After the Doctor's mobile emitter is stolen, he is activated in a hospital that is severely overcrowded. He then learns that the people he wants to help are not worth helping under a system run by a computer that calculates an individual's worth to society. The Allocator, which is the computer system, attaches Treatment Coefficient values to the residents of the planet, determining the level of medical care they receive.
If that is not bad enough, it is then revealed that those who are valued more highly and not necessarily sick are given medication to ensure they do not get sick, while the other patients are left to die. It is a scathing commentary on the American healthcare system, as the computer on the planet mirrors how those with higher social status and more money are able to get suitable care while others cannot.
The darkness of the reveal is heightened by how close it is to society right now.