Et Cetera

Why the U.S. Supreme Court refused last week to hear the case of John McGann is not nearly as clear as the possible repercussions of that decision. McGann, a Houston music-store clerk, had his medical insurance suddenly cut from $1 million to $5,000 after his employer learned he had AIDS. An unusual alliance of American Medical Association officials and AIDS activists says the court's inaction may embolden other employers who promise medical benefits to retroactively refuse insurance payouts . McGann did not live to hear the bad news: he died in June 1991.