I was looking through the SR 5e rules today and came across the DocWagon entries (both the mission idea and the Equipment entry). Back in 2e, I had a GM that used to refuse his players from getting anything beyond the Basic DocWagon contract (as all levels above Basic required tissue samples and were effectively SINs in his eyes). Thinking of this I propose the following House Rule for DocWagon contracts:

Basic: Comes with a homing beacon (as per rules). Upon activation, DocWagon must start negotiations to extract their client, and if successful the client is taken to the closest DocWagon clinic or hospital.
Gold: Comes with non-evasive (ie 0 essence) biotech monitors (requiring a DocWagon SIN to be created). Upon receiving a -3 Physical Damage penalty (or worse), the DocWagon beacon is activated, DocWagon must start negotiations to extract their client, and if successful the client is taken to the closest DocWagon clinic or hospital.
Platinum: Comes with non-evasive (ie 0 essence) biotech monitors (requiring a DocWagon SIN to be created). Upon receiving a -2 Physical Damage penalty (or worse), the DocWagon beacon is activated, DocWagon must start negotiations to extract their client, and if successful the client is taken to the closest DocWagon clinic or hospital.
Super Platinum: Comes with non-evasive (ie 0 essence) biotech monitors (requiring a DocWagon SIN to be created). Upon receiving a -1 Physical Damage penalty (or worse), the DocWagon beacon is activated, DocWagon must start negotiations to extract their client, and if successful the client is taken to the closest DocWagon clinic or hospital.

Under this house rule, when a SR gains a Gold (or higher) contract, they would gain the SINner negative Quality (Corporate Limited SIN). This means any criminal charges against them would make them liable for extradition from a DocWagon clinic or hospital to the offended Mega-Corp (escape run anyone?). The client's reputation with DocWagon (ie how useful are they as a SR for DocWagon) will determine if they want to start the extradition process.

I would imagine that DocWagon would take a temporary tissue sample (ie destroyed) from Basic contract users upon arriving at the DocWagon clinic or hospital (to assist in diagnosing and treatment of the client). If the SR has a Criminal SIN, then DocWagon could start the extradition process at that time.

This house rule would limit the number of DocWagon contracts PCs has, and how good they are. It would also make a SR uneasy to do runs against DocWagon if they hold a DocWagon contract (or more willing to do whatever DocWagon wants them to do as well).

Thoughts?

If you agree with your old GM that DocWagon contracts above basic are undesirable for PC's, then this is a good house rule for your campaign. It makes PC's very unlikely to ever get a Gold or better DocWagon contract, but it does it by giving it too many drawbacks, rather than a hard "no".

I'm sure CrashCart would love the bump in high-value business if DocWagon started actively providing information on their clients/their clients themselves to other parties who want them.

Remember that DocWagon is a wholly-owned subsidiary of one of the AAA Megas. Their clinics have extraterritoriality. Nobody gets a DocWagon client unless DocWagon wants to hand them over.

I thought they were a private company. Their business model was just so niche that the other Mega-Corps would rather just work with them, instead of competing against them. Which book would that be in?

How would you tweak the house rule to be less of a hard no, and more of a soft maybe. The ideal situation would be if the runner team honestly wants to work for DocWagon (as runners), they could also benefit from their Mega-Corp status to a degree. It would be easier to them to let DocWagon take them in and get a slap on the wrist, then deal with one of the other Corps.

When you're describing these biomonitors having evasion, are you imagining them evading detection by pat-down security searches, much like a Concealability attribute does?

I think he meant "non-invasive".

It's hard to say how this house rule could be tweaked to make PC's want a higher than basic DocWagon account. The whole point to DocWagon, from a runner's point of view, is that they are EMT's that come to rescue you, then patch you up, with no questions asked. If they need a special limited corporate SIN (a 15-point negative quality) for Gold or better accounts, and are subject to extradition to other corporations, then "If you are a good little tool we might not extract you" isn't much of a counter-incentive.

Maybe some players might like having a potential ally protecting them when they are badly wounded, in exchange for doing runs to be useful to them. You could play that up. But to me, it would be too much like working for "the man" for any self-respecting runner. Different strokes I guess.

I'm going to agree with ShadowDragon8685. Their competitors would rip them apart in the healthcare marketplace. This type of ad copy practically writes itself. "DocWagon - you just can't trust them to keep your private health information safe. They've demonstrated this time and time again, so trust CrashCart for your private healthcare needs."

Honestly, I don't see the problem. If the players want to spend their money on a Gold or higher contract, how is this really an issue? Heck, on one run years ago, our only reward was a year's subscription to DocWagon Super Platinum for the whole team. Didn't unbalance the game - especially since we used magical healing most of the time - but it was a good backup just in case.

Yes, that is what I meant.

Me fail english, that's unpossible.

I think I'll take your suggestion and just give the players a limited corporate SIN if they have Gold or better. Side thought, could a DocWagon contract (as a SR) also count as a contact? Basically, it would be a Mr. Johnson contact for DocWagon only, and you would be "paid" in months of on of the different levels of DocWagon contracts. You could do the same for any of the HMOs.

Two points:
1. The sharing of private data is an underlining theme of Shadowrun as a whole. Everyone does it, the public knows they do it, I don't think WageSlaves would care much about that issue as much as modern society would now.
2. SRs = Plausible Deniability. If the Mega-Corps did a smear campaign over every John Doe SR that had his privacy violated, then there wouldn't be a reason to listen to the Holo-News in the first place. All DocWagon has to say is "where is your evidence?", because there isn't any.

If they do it often enough, it'll get out. And one of those times, it'll blow up into a scandal. When their grocery shopping habits get traded around, people grumble but leave it alone. When they find their sensitive medical information in the newspaper, they will pitch a fit. And then DocWagon's competitors will gleefully run with that in commercial after commercial all over the Matrix. I assure you DocWagon executives would start to care then.

And still not seeing the problem with Gold or better contracts if the PCs want to pay for them.

You're paying them 25,000/year for 1 resuscitation, 1/2 off the ambulance bill, and 10% off extended care (assuming gold level), AND they're selling your information? I usually assume the prices in the book are for the "shadowrunner special." It's a bit more pricey, but the person keeping your records is a bit...forgetful when the police show up. Besides, they're a AA corp. KE turns up? They don't know anything. They turn up with a warrant? Huh, we can't find anything matching that account (including receipt of payment).

25,000/year is slightly higher than maintaining an extra low lifestyle, and that's just for a discount on medical care. Docwagon is an insurance company with a lot of high-paying (legit or runner) clients. There's no HIPAA in Shadowrun, but there are competitors looking to take over for anyone willing to sell out clients. Joe Blow off the street may get his information sold, but nobody really cares. That's why he pays less; his information (more than) pays the difference.

At worst, I'd treat Docwagon as a way they can be tracked down, but no worse than (and probably not as bad as) offsetting the 5-point blandness quality.

@JanessaVR
First and foremost, this is a house rule. What you do in your own game is your choice.

I like to play Shadowrun as a world where Corporate America has gotten everything they want, and personal freedoms have been gone for two generations. In this type of world (like most dystopian worlds) the concepts of personal freedom, privacy, and accountability are effectively gone, and the average person doesn't know better. SRs are a completely different situation.

@Iduno
I agree with you, having a -25 point quality (Corporate Limited SIN) is excessive and doesn't feel quite right. Maybe I can change the house rule to be more of two options for the SR
1. DocWagon is a contact (merger between Mr. Johnson and Street Doc) and as long as you keep them happy, other Mega-Corps will have a hard time tracking you done (ie Plausible Deniability)
2. DocWagon is a new negative trait based on your DocWagon contract (Maybe -5 per level?). The higher your level of DocWagon contract the easier it is to track you down.

The intent I wanted with the house rule is to enforce the idea I have in my campaigns that SRs are viewed by the public as professional criminals and that everyone is out to get them. Smart SRs know what risks to take, and which to avoid to keep alive. I don't want to completely remove the choice to get a DocWagon contract, but I want players to feel that it is a double edged sword. Everything the Mega-Corps touch has strings attached.