Posh doctors
Thank you to The Post for highlighting the growth of concierge medicine, a dangerous trend in New York City and across the country (“It’s club med-icine,” Feb. 14).
Medicare was created to ensure equal access to medical care for older Americans and other covered individuals. The roughly 25% cut in Medicare physician pay over recent years has likely encouraged many doctors to switch to concierge practices.
Employees who receive commercial health insurance as part of their compensation also assume they will have reasonable access to care. Yet when doctors transition to concierge, they typically drop two-thirds or more of their patients, worsening the crisis in primary-care access. To ensure fairness, concierge practitioners should not be allowed to participate in or bill Medicare and commercial insurance plans.
Barry B. Perlman, MD, Manhattan
Aviation aversion
The news last week opened with the terrifying image of a plane upside down on a frozen Toronto runway (“Delta ‘flip’ crew kudos,” Feb. 20).
The second story was even scarier: President Trump had fired several hundred Federal Aviation Administration workers, including more than a few aviation mechanics.
As if I wasn’t already fearful of flying, now I’m scared to death.
Bob Ory, Chicago, Ill.
Free diabetes?
Banning soda purchases from food stamps is a long-overdue, necessary step (“Feds ‘Stamp’ out soda?” Feb. 15).
SNAP was created to fight hunger and malnutrition among the poor, yet it has been rife with fraud and waste for decades. Soda, energy drinks and snacks like Twinkies or Oreos should all be excluded from SNAP purchases. Sugary cereals? No. High-end beef cuts? No. If you want prime rib or filet mignon, pay for it yourself.
We often hear concerns about poor diets and obesity among SNAP recipients, yet the government continues to subsidize and encourage these unhealthy choices.
Brian Finn, Stamford, Conn.
Gaza disasters
With the blessing of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it seems 2 million Gazans will be given eviction notices and forced to surrender their homeland (“Bibi, Rubio warn Hamas,” Feb. 17).
I’ll go out on a limb and predict that Trump’s promised border wall — supposedly paid for by Mexico — will be completed long before he transforms Gaza into a Riviera. Should America’s national security be threatened by Islamic extremists retaliating for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, not to worry — the FBI surely has our backs.
Wait, what? The FBI’s budget and personnel are going to be slashed by DOGE Emperor Elon Musk? On second thought — do worry.
Vin Morabito, Scranton, Pa.
Eagle-eye scouts
As the father of an Eagle Scout (Troop 5, Bronxville), I must defend the Boy Scouts of America as a worthy and necessary part of our culture (“Scout’s Dishonor,” Feb. 17).
I have long been aware of the serious issues mentioned in the article and have no sympathy for those who perpetrated or covered up sexual abuse.
However, my hands-on experience as a parent, volunteer and former scout has shown me the immense value of scouting. I have told my son many times that his troop leaders were some of the best teachers he would ever have.
Jim Tubridy, Bronxville
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