Sen. Edwards said that the cost of his plan was estimated at $90 billion to $120 billion, and that he would pay for it by rolling back tax cuts for Americans making more than $200,000 per year.
A reporter asked Sen. Edwards about the differences between his plan and that of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), another Democratic presidential candidate. Sen. Clinton released her plan in September, and it contained many provisions similar to Sen. Edwards' plan, such as an array of private plans for people to choose from as well as a public plan similar to Medicare.
"One difference [is] … how big a priority you made this and how early you came out with a comprehensive plan," he said. "It's a huge priority to me, and I will not bend on universal [coverage]."
Further, "Sen. Clinton appears to believe that you can take money from health insurance and drug company lobbyists and sit at the table with them and negotiate a compromise. I absolutely reject that. The way you get it done is to convince the American people about the rightness of what you want to do," Sen. Edwards said.
Once the markets were set up, a mandate would require all citizens to obtain health insurance. SEN. EDWARDS