Iceman Puts Chill Into HMO Policies

Re “X-Rays Solve a Cold Case: An Arrow Killed Iceman,” July 26: The Times reports that the Iceman, who was frozen in an Italian glacier 5,300 years ago, was discovered in 1991. After much speculation about how he died, scientists have just done a CAT scan, which revealed an arrowhead. If anyone is wondering why it took so long to make this diagnosis, the answer is clear: The scientists finally got authorization from the Iceman’s HMO.

They should have known that HMOs, like glaciers, move slowly. Still, it is gratifying to know that 5,300 years after he died, the OK for the needed diagnostic test finally came through. What the Iceman himself thinks about this situation is, of course, also the subject of speculation. One rarely hears complaints from corpses, frozen or not. If one waits long enough before authorizing diagnostic tests or treatments, the problem solves itself. This might be termed the final solution to the medical care problem.

David C. Stolinsky

Los Angeles