An article on implantable microchips with which one could pay for things or even be identified from a couple of months ago. Frightening in its potential.

Congressional Quarterly's CQ Today Midday Update for today includes:

The Institute of Medicine called on President Bush and Congress today to
provide health care coverage to all Americans by 2010, while a poll
released by the American Hospital Association found increased support
among voters to help the more than 43 million Americans without health
coverage get it. Coverage should be universal, continuous, affordable to
individuals and families, and affordable and sustainable for society,
institute officials said. The IOM study said taxpayers bear the cost of
caring for the uninsured. In 2001, for example, tax dollars paid for an
estimated 85 percent of the $35 billion in unreimbursed medical care of
the uninsured, the report found. Separately, a poll released by the
American Hospital Association found that 69 percent of those surveyed said
they would be willing to pay more federal taxes to assure that every
American received health care coverage. AHA President Dick Davidson said
that "the window is there for both parties to come together" on helping
the uninsured. "The question is whether there is the political will to do
that."