STAT invites reader letters on primary care value, obesity as disease and broader health-care debates

STAT’s First Opinion platform encourages readers to submit letters responding to its essays, fostering open, good‑faith discussion about health‑care topics.

Recent letters, echoing comments from the presidents of the AAFP, ACP and AAP, argue that the debate should move beyond narratives that pit primary care against specialty care.

Contributors stress that patients need both types of care – for example, a person with diabetes relies on a trusted primary‑care physician for ongoing management and on specialists when complications arise, while children benefit from pediatric monitoring and specialist referral when needed.

The editors invite continued submissions, noting that such letters help shape dialogue on issues ranging from primary‑care access to recognizing obesity as a disease.