Prediction No, 10

Some of the programs that governments run to meet their citizens' health needs are already now bankrupt. For instance, in the United States, the medicare and medicaid funds have no monies because monies allotted to those funds have already been fully expended to meet the interest payments due on treasury obligations. Payments from these funds go to meet long-term chronic care needs of the elderly, disabled and the indigent. Payments are especially high for those who are in their final year of life due to some terminal illness. Because there are no longer any funds to expend, society shall attempt to shorten the final period of terminal illness of dying patients through fostering assisted suicide for the terminally ill: no patient---no payment. Gradually the impetus towards voluntary assisted suicide, which exists now, shall be shifting from a voluntary decision initiated by the patient to states mandating compulsory suicide for all those deemed terminally ill. For those who have long-term chronic debilitating diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, state pressure to terminate life through suicide will be immense as the state shall have no monies available to pay for the extended care of those who are afflicted with these conditions.