The journalists today were:

• Susan Dentzer, Health Correspondent, The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer, Moderator
• Laurie McGinley, The Wall Street Journal
• David Muir, Anchor/World News Saturday, Co-Anchor/Primetime
• Julie Rovner, Health Policy Correspondent, NPR

John Edwards unveiled his Issue Plan to End the HIV/AIDS Epidemic (read the press statement and link to the plan here). We already have some early reactions to the plan:

"This is plan is both bold and achievable, and we are thrilled to see Senator Edwards' tremendous leadership on this issue. It's exciting to see such a realistic, science-based approach to the epidemic in the US and globally." Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance FUND September 24, 2007

"Senator Edwards becomes the first candidate to respond to the HIV/AIDS 'Call to Action' calling on every Presidential candidate to commit to developing a results-oriented national AIDS strategy to reduce HIV infection rates, ensure access to care and treatment and eliminate racial disparities." The AIDS Action Council September 24, 2007

Finally, before we get to the press conference Q & As, here is the schedule for similar upcoming events:

• Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) - Thursday, October 25, 2007, 8:30 a.m. ET
• Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) - Thursday, October 25, 2007, 11:30 a.m. ET
• Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) - Wednesday, October 31, 2007, 10 a.m. ET
• Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) - Thursday, November 1, 2007, 11 a.m. ET
• Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) - Wednesday, November 7, 2007, 10 a.m. ET
• Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) - TBA
• Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.) - TBA
• Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) - TBA
• Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) - TBA

Press Conference

The Senator gave a brief summary of his new comprehensive plan to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic here and abroad before taking questions. He highlighted 5 elements of the plan:

1. Ensure that all Americans have health coverage and expand Medicaid to cover HIV-positive indificuals before they reach the later stages, disabilities, and AIDS.
2. Support science-based prevention strategies to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS, including comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education
3. Reduce the possibility of spreading the disease by eliminating the current federal ban on clean needle exchange programs
4. Ensure universal global access to HIV/AIDS medicine by investing $50 billion over 5 years so that people infected with HIV/AIDS in places like Africa and Southeast Asia can get the treatment they need.
5. Provide more rapid approval processes by allowing the use of WHO standards rather than FDA standards for critical drugs.

Questions and Answers [note, all answers are paraphrased from handwritten notes]

Q1: Compare your health care plan to those presented by the Republican candidates.

A1: Edwards said he isn't an expert on their plans but noted that none of them seem to be serious - they are not universal, they do not provide comprehensive coverage, most seem to be retreads of the Health Savings Account ideas. He also said that when he is the Democratic candidate, he will offer a clear choice to voters: if you're happy with the health care system and health care costs in the country now, vote for the Republican. if you think we can and should do better, if you want to see costs reduced and everyone covered, vote for the Democrats.

Q2: If your plan is implemented and as you see what is working and start getting costs now, will you include rationing or some other way in the areas where costs aren't going down or use in a particular area is going up?

A2: There will be no rationing under my plan. It is designed to give individuals as much choice as possible, to reduce costs within the system and for people to be able to have the care they need.

Q3: What is your view of Columbia University having Iranian President Ahmadinejad speak on campus today?

A3: Senator Edwards said that he personally finds much of what Ahmadinejad says reprehensible and gave as an example denying the Holocaust occurred or wanting to wipe Israel out. He believed it was correct to deny the Iranian president the opportunity to visit Ground Zero. As for speaking at Columbia, he said that decision was for the university to make.

Q4: Your plan calls for mandatory coverage. What would be the consequences of failing to get insurance?

A4: Edwards indicated he is looking as losing some tax exemptions or other tax consequences. He also pointed out that under his plan, anyone who has contact with the system will be enrolled. The example he gave was if you show up at an emergency room and aren't already in the system, you'll be enrolled on the spot. He wants cradle to grave coverage so that insurance companies can no longer cherry pick the healthiest individuals to keep their own costs down while forcing others into a government run plan.

Q5: (didn't catch the exact question but it was something about a statement by Obama today or recently regarding Ahmadinejad's visit to New York and meeting with heads of state the U.S. might not agree with)

A5: Senator Edwards said that he could only speak to what he would do. He would have to be careful about meeting with people like Ahmadinejad or Kim Jung Il or Hugo Chavez, for example, that the meeting would advance the national security of the United States and that it wouldn't be used for propaganda purposes. The diplomatic groundwork would have to be done as well. He indicated that he can't say broadly either way because the President, responsible for national security, needs to make the assessment on each case individually.

Q6: Question regarding the patent system for new drugs and ensuring that his new system wouldn't discourage research leading to breakthroughs.

A6: His system replaces monopolies for the drug companies with a form of incentives, such as a cash bonus or reward, to encourage continued work in new drug development. A panel of medical research scientists and physicians would review the new applications.

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I hope the community finds this helpful. I'm not a health care expert, and certainly not an expert on patents and new drug developments. Still, it will be interesting to see how much of what Edwards actually said winds up in the Mainstream Corporate Media rather than a spin on his words.

Note, I was only able to watch a small part of the actual forum as I was at work; it looked more like an oral defense of a college dissertation than anything else with some excellent questions and detailed answers. You can also watch a video or listen to a podcast of the entire event from this page.