RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK - The six major candidates for governor argued about health care Thursday, with the Democrats debating ways to increase coverage of the uninsured and the Republicans talking about how to control costs.

The debate was the second of three forums sponsored by UNC-TV. The Democrats -- State Treasurer Richard Moore and Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue -- went first. They were followed by the Republicans: Salisbury lawyer Bill Graham, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr and state Sen. Fred Smith.

The candidates were asked about their plans to help the elderly, the young, the poor and the uninsured get affordable, quality health care.

On the Democratic side, Moore and Perdue agreed to ensure the state's children have health insurance, although they disagreed on how to achieve the goal.

Perdue proposes increasing health-care coverage for poor adults in order to cover their children. Her plan would phase in coverage of adults making up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level -- about $41,300 for a family of four.

"The other candidates will say, 'No, no, no,' but if we're serious about covering the children, we must do this," she said.

Moore, who has previously argued that covering adults is too expensive, wants to do more to sign up uninsured children for existing programs.

"Children in this state aren't hiding from anybody," he said. "They're born in our hospitals, they show up in our schools, they attend our churches. We need to have a real strategic effort to go out and get them."

The state should focus on fighting preventable diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, he said.

The Democrats also traded jabs.

Moore argued that the Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission has had a spotty record, especially on teen smoking. Perdue serves on the commission and headed a task force on health operated, in part, by it.

Perdue noted that Moore said during his unsuccessful 1994 Congressional run that he would consider cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid funding to balance the budget. She said the cuts would have hurt seniors.

On the Republican side, Graham touted his plan to create an insurance pool that he said would make health insurance affordable for all residents. Consumers should be allowed to pay a small portion over the course of a year. That way, he said, a person wouldn't have to pay hundreds of dollars before heath insurance benefits would kick in.

"This allows us to take a high deductible and not bruise the consumer's pocketbook so much," Graham said.

Smith said the state's residents need to make healthful choices and have incentives to seek preventive care.

Orr said the governor would have to ensure there are enough medical professionals, particularly in the state's rural areas, to make sure every resident would have access to health care.

McCrory, noting he is the only Republican candidate who is not a lawyer, argued that many rural North Carolinians don't have good access because doctors are afraid of lawsuits. "It is ridiculous right now that a doctor working in an emergency room does not have limited immunity," he said.

He then said that he was with "three distinguished lawyers."

Smith corrected McCrory.

"I haven't practiced law in 16 years, and if I tried to practice law right now, it would be malpractice off the bat," Smith said.

Graham then noted that he has called for a peer review system for malpractice lawsuits.

(Correspondent Sam Wineka and Charlotte Observer reporter Mark Johnson contributed to this report.)