THE WEEK

• She is a VIP. She commands respect for the nation and people she represents. When in a foreign country she never forgets who or where she is. She says, “How lovely,” and “I’m not at all tired, thank you,” and “How kind of you to let me come,” and expects to be bored most of the time. She travels as befits her station. She is dignified. She does not play games with the press. She does not go in disguise to Acapulco like a movie star with a movie star. She does not wear yellow wigs in public. Women’s Wear Daily would jump her if she did. Maybe Women’s Wear Daily knows she is a pro. How unlike the home life of our own dear royalbirds.

• Four years ago the insurance companies of Connecticut, under the pressure no doubt of increasing talk about a federal medical program, pooled their resources to offer a medical risk policy to people over 65 years old. State after state followed suit; so that medical insurance for the elderly was one of the fastest growing sectors of private insurance when, this year, the federal medical program became law. Now New York State’s 47 private insurance companies that joined the medical pool have announced they will terminate the program as of the date the federal benefits become available (June 30 next). Present policyholders will be served until then; and the surplus at June 30, if any, distributed among them. Medical insurance pools in other states are considering the same action. Apparently there’s no fighting city hall when it duplicates the services of the private market while charging only a fraction of the direct cost (and taking the rest out in taxes). If any of the elderly would prefer to have some choice in the matter, it’s just too damned bad about them.

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• She is a VIP. She commands respect for the nation and people she represents. When in a foreign country she never forgets who or where she is. She says, “How lovely,” and “I’m not at all tired, thank you,” and “How kind of you to let me come,” and expects to be bored most of the time. She travels as befits her station. She is dignified. She does not play games with the press. She does not go in disguise to Acapulco like a movie star with a movie star. She does not wear yellow wigs in public. Women’s Wear Daily would jump her if she did. Maybe Women’s Wear Daily knows she is a pro. How unlike the home life of our own dear royalbirds.

• Four years ago the insurance companies of Connecticut, under the pressure no doubt of increasing talk about a federal medical program, pooled their resources to offer a medical risk policy to people over 65 years old. State after state followed suit; so that medical insurance for the elderly was one of the fastest growing sectors of private insurance when, this year, the federal medical program became law. Now New York State’s 47 private insurance companies that joined the medical pool have announced they will terminate the program as of the date the federal benefits become available (June 30 next). Present policyholders will be served until then; and the surplus at June 30, if any, distributed among them. Medical insurance pools in other states are considering the same action. Apparently there’s no fighting city hall when it duplicates the services of the private market while charging only a fraction of the direct cost (and taking the rest out in taxes). If any of the elderly would prefer to have some choice in the matter, it’s just too damned bad about them.