The politically anticipated Iowa caucuses offer a strong foreshadow on who will take lead towards being the next United States president. The two current party front-runners in this race were decided tonight, giving Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee a head start. Without doubt- health care reform is a hot topic for presidential candidates. This is the look on what Barack Obama and, type-2 diabetic, Mike Huckabee promise in their health care platforms.

Obama:
Barack wants to put together a national health care system that will give access to every American. The big kicker- Those with current illness or pre-existing conditions will not be denied coverage. How many times have people with diabetes been turned away after checking that spotlighted box? An intensive reform process will be needed to conduct this change indeed. Obama is also known to support cure friendly stem cell research, backing useful stem cell bills as Illinois state senator.

Huckabee:
Mike acknowledges the broken system currently in place that focuses on disease treatment instead of prevention. He would encourage legislation that gives the private sector, and not the government, increased control over health care. His website states, "We have to change a system that happily pays $30,000 for a diabetic to have his foot amputated, but won't pay for the shoes that would save his foot." In terms of disease research, this one time Christian preacher rejects embryonic stem cell research which is one current way scientists hope to find a cure for diabetes.

Either way you swing your vote at the candidates' pitched platforms, reformed health care needs to be considered. Both leading candidates have valid opinions devised within their campaign on the best way to approach this change, and let's hope they don't "pull a politician" when it comes time to back up their words. Obama's entire campaign has touted change as the driving force behind his presidential run and it seems to me that... indeed, change is needed. Huckabee leans on American values and priorities, openly using his type-2 diabetes diagnosis and subsequent weight-loss as fodder in his health care debates.

Health care is only one mounting topic that stacks up in importance for the presidential election coming this November. And within the health care debate, there is a whole gamut of additional information to decipher. Use this as a stepping stone to look closer at the shrinking pool of presidential hopefuls, and let your voice be heard on Election Day.