Jul 31, 2009 4:00 pm US/Central
Obama's Personal Doctor Speaks Against Health Plan
Dr. David Scheiner Was President's Physician For 22 Years
WASHINGTON (CBS) ―
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David Scheiner, former physician of President Barack Obama from 1987 until he was elected to be the president, is interviewed by a radio reporter on the phone as he participates during a rally on health care on July 30, 2009, in Washington, D.C.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
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President Obama's very own doctor thinks his proposed health care reform pushing government-run insurance is "a bad program," according to media reports.
Dr. David Scheiner, Obama's personal physician for 22 years when the then-senator lived in Illinois, told
the Chicago Tribune, "I don't think it's what he feels in his heart is necessary. I think it's what he feels politically is the best way."
The 70-year-old doctor based in the Chicago area is an advocate of single-payer health care systems -- through which a single entity, like the federal government, pays fees to hospitals and doctors.
He said he is troubled the president has consulted with private industry executives more than primary care physicians and has not talked more about the benefits of single-payer coverage, according to CBS News.
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Obama years ago said he was a proponent of a single-payer system but has since said such a program is not feasible given the current, employer-based structure of the nation's health care system. The president has left many of the details of health care reform up to Congress, encouraging them to come up with a bipartisan plan.
Scheiner issued a statement July 30 arguing for a single-payer approach to health care reform:
Some critics attack single-payer, arguing that under such a program, government bureaucrats will be between the patient and the physician. In the 40 years I have been practicing under Medicare, I have never encountered an instance where Medicare has prevented proper medical care. On the other hand, insurance companies frequently interfere and block appropriate care.
There are multiple problems with the present congressional health reform proposals, but allowing private insurance to continue being involved is the most egregious. The insurance companies actually like many of the proposed reforms, including the requirement that every American purchase insurance or suffer a tax penalty, which would be a windfall to the insurance industry. That alone should be a warning.
In the meantime, lawmakers were still trying to hammer out a plan that would please all parties. Democrats sought to limit increases in the cost of insurance sold under the sweeping health care bill Friday as they labored to clear the final obstacle to a September showdown on President Obama's top domestic priority.
Several officials said a last-minute agreement among Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee also included authority for the federal government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices under Medicare.
The changes were part of an intensive effort Democrats have made in recent days to satisfy the conflicting demands of liberals and conservatives on the panel. "We have agreed we need to pull together," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the committee chairman. He said he hoped for a vote by early evening.
Several officials said the cost of insurance to be sold widely under the bill could not rise by more than 4 percent a year unless the government approved.
The officials who disclosed the terms of the last-minute agreement did so on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss private deliberations.
The White House declined to state a position on the changes.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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