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Healthcare costs are a top economic issue for voters this year — higher than utilities, groceries, housing and gas, according to a poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Three-quarters of Democratic and independent voters and half of Republican voters said it will play a role in their decision to vote and which candidate to support.
In Maine, a recent survey by Consumers for Affordable Health Care found that 7 out of 10 people have skipped or delayed medical care due to cost. Nearly half of households have incurred medical debt in the past two years, and most had health insurance at the time.
6 in 10 Maine households are just one major medical event away from financial disaster, according to a 2026 report from Consumers for Affordable Health Care.
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One in three Mainers skipped or delayed medical care because of costs, according to a recent study from Consumers for Affordable Health Care. And their most recent 2026 report found six in 10 Maine households are just one major medical event away from financial disaster.
Unfortunately, access to medical care is only worsening. In early 2026, over 8,550 Mainers canceled their health insurance coverage. More than 2,700 people canceled their plans because they could no longer afford the monthly premium.
Kate Ende, policy director at Consumers for Affordable Health Care, understands the draw of alternative models.
“Premiums are exceptionally high right now, and it can put coverage out of reach for a lot of people,” she said.
Ende recently testified in the state legislature in support of a bill that would have capped medical costs. For example, a 64-year-old couple living in Aroostook County earning $85,000 annually would have to pay half their income for a plan through the health insurance marketplace, she said.
Four in 10 Maine households have gone into medical debt within the last two years, according to a Consumers for Affordable Health Care survey. Three of four had insurance at the time.
