> A serious bird-flu epidemic breaks out and spreads worldwide.
> Significant numbers of physicians stop taking Medicare after a fee cut.
> Bankruptcy of major for-profit hospital systems.
> A malicious virus infects a significant number of medical devices causing patient deaths due to inaccurate readings.
> The FDA regulates health information software.
> An outbreak of a hospital-centered bacterial infection, such as MSRA, becomes a major factor in North America.
> Uninsurance and cost concerns put single payers in the center of a political discussion and Democrats adopt it for 2008 (remember Harris Wofford?).