CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Two Republican presidential candidates emphasized a market-based approach to boost health insurance coverage in the United States at a cancer forum sponsored Tuesday by the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee met individually with Armstrong and co-moderator Chris Matthews of MSNBC at the U.S. Cellular Center and sharply differed with the four Democrats who appeared at the forum Monday.

Brownback said he would rely more on such tools as health savings accounts to change the way insurance coverage is delivered, while Huckabee warned that universal insurance coverage does not necessarily equate to a greater quality of care. He added that more money needs to be spent upfront to prevent chronic health conditions.

The pair also pledged to make fighting cancer a top priority, with Brownback saying the country ought to set a goal of eliminating cancer deaths in 10 years.

“This is an American-sized goal,” he said.

Huckabee, who lost 110 pounds after being diagnosed with adult diabetes, said he would broaden the battle to go beyond cancer and include chronic diseases. As president, Huckabee added, he would sign a ban on smoking in public places if Congress sent it to his desk.

The cancer forums were a unique event. Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner, is a cancer survivor, and advocates for victims and their families hope the forums will raise public awareness of research and treatment as well as elevate the issue in the presidential campaign.

Over the past two days, funding for cancer research and therapies has received considerable attention. Federal funding for the National Institutes of Health has stagnated the past few years.

Brownback would not be pinned down on how much he might boost funding for the agency or where he would get the money.

Under repeated questioning by Matthews, he said the goal of eliminating cancer deaths in a decade should drive the budget.

“It may need tripling,” he added.

The senator said he would pay for it by instituting a military base closing-style system to cut spending in other areas. With that method, Congress accepts a report from an independent commission and must vote it up or down without amendment.

That brought some hard questioning from Matthews, who wanted to know specifically where Brownback would cut the budget.

After Brownback left the stage, Armstrong quipped, “Be a little nicer.”

Huckabee, whose personal story of weight loss through better diet and exercise is a staple of his campaign, said the country’s policies ought to be changed to encourage better lifestyles. For example, he said, food stamp recipients could be given more money for buying foods that are good for them and less money if they buy less-healthful ones.

He also cited several instances in Arkansas when the government encouraged testing and preventive care.

Huckabee also took on the Democrats’ call for universal coverage, saying it’s not all it’s cracked up to be and cited the poor health habits of Medicaid patients.

“Just having universal coverage … is not tantamount to good health,” he said. “The primary goal ought to be universal health.”

Huckabee and Brownback also agreed that cancer patients ought to have more of a voice in getting access to experimental therapies.

The sparse participation by the Republican field drew notice, with none of the leading GOP candidates taking part. Republican Mitt Romney was addressing breast cancer issues Tuesday in Virginia.

Armstrong called the absences a disappointment. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who played a part in the forum, also expressed regret, but he told reporters afterward, “I do believe the war on cancer is important to all members of my party.”

Organizers said 1,000 people attended Tuesday’s forum, while 3,000 were at Monday’s event.

Ed Tibbetts can be contacted at (563) 383-2327 or etibbetts@qctimes.com.