2026 North Carolina 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 North Carolinians 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 North Carolina General Assembly 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 engage in 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

• Breast and Cervical Cancer: ACS CAN will advocate to maintain funding of $1.6 million dollars for North Carolina’s Breast & Cervical Cancer Control Program. We support legislation to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for breast cancer diagnostic imaging and will continue to support legislation aimed at improving coverage of diagnostic, screening, and supplemental examinations for breast and cervical cancer.
• 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 by requiring health insurance coverage for evidence-based prostate cancer preventive care and screenings, without cost sharing.

Reducing the Toll of Tobacco

• Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Funding: ACS CAN will identify and advocate for the 2026 JUUL settlement funds to be used for prevention and cessation at the discretion of the Department of Health and Human Services.

For more information, contact: John Broome, North Carolina Government Relations Director ACS CAN

[email protected] | 336-707-6614

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.