Edwards Lays Out Health Care Plan
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
DETROIT — Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards yesterday proposed cutting health care costs by overhauling the patent process for breakthrough drugs and requiring health insurance companies to spend at least 85% of their premiums on patient care.
The former North Carolina senator offered details of a universal health care proposal he released in February during an appearance at the East Riverside Health Center, a federally funded community clinic.
Mr. Edwards’s plan would offer cash payments in place of longterm patents for companies that develop certain breakthrough drugs and then reap large profits because of the monopolies those patents provide.
He said offering cash incentives instead would allow multiple companies to produce generic and other versions of those drugs to drive down prices. Campaign officials said the payments could be voluntary for drug companies and would be aimed at spurring the development of drugs that cure diseases.
