Maine 2026 Legislative Priorities

Maine 2026 Legislative Priorities

Victory in the fight against cancer requires bold new public policies that promote cancer prevention, early detection of cancer, and expand access to quality, affordable health care. Lawmakers make many decisions that impact the lives of Mainers impacted by cancer and their leadership is vital to defeating this disease. In 2026 the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) will work with the Maine Legislature on legislative and regulatory efforts that provide affordable, adequate access to health insurance including Medicaid, ensure adequate funding for lifesaving cancer screening and prevention programs, and enact prevention policies to protect kids from tobacco products and help support those who are trying to quit. We will be making the following fact-based policies a priority and ask for your support:  

Ensuring Access to Quality Care 

• Medicaid Defense: The preservation of eligibility, coverage, and access to Medicaid remains critically important for many low-income state residents who depend on the program for cancer and chronic disease prevention, as well as early detection, diagnostic, and treatment services. ACS CAN will work to ensure Medicaid enrollees have adequate access and coverage and will oppose proposals that create barriers or reduce access to care for cancer patients, survivors, and those who could be diagnosed with cancer. 

• Affordable, Adequate Health Insurance: ACS CAN will advocate for policies that ensure access to quality, affordable and comprehensive health insurance including Medicaid and will support efforts to curb the availability of inadequate health plans. 

• Access to Biomarker Testing: ACS CAN will advocate for improved coverage of comprehensive biomarker testing. Progress in improving cancer outcomes increasingly involves the use of precision medicine, which uses information about a person’s own genes or proteins to better diagnose and treat diseases like cancer. Biomarker testing is an important step to accessing precision medicine which includes targeted therapies that can lead to improved survivorship and better quality of life for cancer patients, but insurance coverage for biomarker testing is failing to keep pace with innovations and advances in treatment.  

• Reduce Patient Medical Debt: ACS CAN will advocate for policies that prevent the occurrence of medical debt and reduce the impact of medical debt incurred on individuals and families. 

Cancer Prevention and Early Detection 

• Breast and Cervical Cancer: ACS CAN will advocate to maintain funding of the Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program. This lifesaving program, which provides free screenings to low‑income and uninsured women. Early detection saves lives, reduces treatment costs, and promotes health equity. 
• Prostate Cancer:   ACS CAN will advocate for policies that improve prostate cancer screening rates and reduce disparities. This includes policies that would give men at high-risk for prostate cancer improved access to prostate cancer screening.  

Reducing the Toll of Tobacco  

• Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Funding: Tobacco remains the leading preventable cause of cancer. Maine’s prevention and cessation programs work—but they must be fully and reliably funded. We will advocate to protect the Fund for a Healthy Maine and ensure Maine meets CDC‑recommended program funding levels. 
• Access to Tobacco Cessation: With the increase in Maine’s Tobacco Excise tax taking effect this year, now is the time, more than ever, to make sure Mainers have access to cessation programs that a reliable and effective.  

Cancer Research Funding  

• Research Appropriations: ACS CAN will work to protect/increase appropriations to support scientific research on cutting-edge treatments. 

Local Control 

• ACS CAN supports the authority of local governments to pass local policies that go beyond state laws to help families be healthy, safe and secure. Local policymaking allows innovation and creative problem solving that builds on local strengths and addresses local needs. ACS CAN works at the local, state and federal levels to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity to prevent, fight and survive cancer. ACS CAN will oppose legislation that restricts the freedom of local leaders to best serve your shared constituents.   

For more information, contact: Julia MacDonald, Maine Government Relations Director ACS CAN   

[email protected] Phone 603-359-0575   

 
ACS CAN is making cancer a top priority for public officials and candidates at the federal, state, and local levels. ACS CAN empowers advocates across the country to make their voices heard and influence evidence-based public policy change as well as legislative and regulatory solutions that will reduce the cancer burden. As the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN is critical to the fight for a world without cancer. For more information, please visit www.fightcancer.org.