Hillarysworld

Dr David Scheiner remains a big fan of the man he treated for 22 years in Chicago. But does not believe the planned overhaul goes far enough to help the poor and uninsured, and will cost too much because of pressure from the health care industry.

The 71-year-old physician, who has treated low income patients for his entire career in the city's Hyde Park neighbourhood, believes Mr Obama favours an NHS-style "single payer" system, but backed away under pressure from the health industry.

He is bitterly disappointed in the way the reforms are being organised and says he was bounced from the invitation list to a White House event because of pressure from the health lobby.

"I was all set to go to an event, I got an email a few days before confirming it, and then suddenly I was told 'there were too many people' coming," he said. "I think they knew I was going to ask an awkward question about the single payer option."

He contends that the reforms winding their way though Congress "could bankrupt us because there are no real cost controls and the big beneficiaries will be private hospitals and insurance companies".

Dr Scheiner argues that Americans have been terrified by the advertising campaigns of what he calls the "medical industrial complex" into believing that they will lose their own health care coverage if a government-run plan is created.

Dr Sheiner's concern is for the 46 million Americans who are uninsured today and who will be covered by a government-backed insurance scheme.

He says the system being created will be far more expensive than it needs to be, as a result of pressure from the health care industry, he says. "The insurance companies will also play a major role in the administration of the new public plan'," he said "and that's going to be disastrous."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/5907882/Barack-Obamas-health-reform-plans-are-a-bitter-pill-for-his-personal-doctor.html