By: Ryan Michaels | The Maine Mirror
September 8, 2026

A citizen-led effort seeking changes to MaineCare oversight will reach a significant stage Thursday morning when the Maine Department of Health and Human Services holds a public hearing on proposed amendments to the MaineCare Benefits Manual.

The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, September 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Mainers can participate either in person in Augusta or remotely through Zoom. Written comments will continue to be accepted through September 20, according to the official DHHS rulemaking notice. (Maine)

At issue are two citizen rulemaking petitions submitted to the Office of MaineCare Services on June 23.

According to DHHS, each petition was signed by at least 150 registered Maine voters. Under Maine’s citizen rulemaking petition law, 5 M.R.S. § 8055, that threshold required the Department to initiate rulemaking proceedings on the proposals within 60 days. Because both petitions sought amendments to the same rule, DHHS combined them into a single proceeding, identified as Proposal Filing Number 2026-P195. (Maine)

What Would the Proposed Rules Do?

The proposals focus primarily on two areas: physical oversight of MaineCare providers and additional controls surrounding potentially improper payments.

According to the DHHS notice, the proposed amendments would require the Department to conduct in-person on-site reviews and inspections of MaineCare provider business or service locations. The proposal would also authorize sanctions when a provider fails to allow DHHS access for an authorized visit, review or inspection. (Maine)

The second major component concerns provider payments.

Under defined criteria, the proposed rule would require DHHS to suspend a MaineCare provider’s claims payments after notice of an improper payment and place withheld funds into escrow through a Payment Suspension and Escrow Order, or PSEO.

Those payments would remain in escrow until a final determination is reached regarding the existence and amount of any improper payment. (Maine)

The petitioners additionally propose requiring providers under payment suspension to continue delivering medically necessary covered services to their existing MaineCare members.

The proposal also calls for DHHS to work with the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to obtain any approvals necessary to amend Maine’s State Plan to implement the proposed reforms. (Maine)

Who Is Behind the Citizen Petition Effort?

The effort was organized by Lead Maine, whose executive director, State Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, founded the organization. Lead Maine describes itself as an organization focused on educating and engaging Mainers and explicitly identifies its broader mission as advancing conservative values. (Lead Maine)

Lead Maine calls the effort the MaineCare Accountability Project.

According to Lead Maine’s project page, the organization submitted the two citizen rulemaking petitions to DHHS on June 23 with more than 3,500 signatures combined. DHHS independently confirms the June 23 submission date and that each petition crossed the statutory 150-registered-voter threshold requiring the Department to initiate rulemaking. (Lead Maine)

Lead Maine says its proposals are intended to strengthen MaineCare oversight through on-site provider inspections and stronger mechanisms for addressing improper payments. The organization characterizes the effort as seeking “real oversight” of MaineCare spending and argues that existing safeguards have been inadequate. Those descriptions represent Lead Maine’s stated rationale for the proposals, rather than a finding by DHHS. (Lead Maine)

That distinction is important.

Why Is DHHS Holding This Hearing?

This is not simply a hearing that DHHS independently decided to schedule on a policy concept.

It is the result of Maine’s citizen rulemaking petition process.

DHHS states in its official notice that the Department was required to initiate rulemaking proceedings because each of the two petitions had been signed by at least 150 registered voters. (Maine)

Lead Maine says it went considerably beyond that minimum, submitting more than 3,500 signatures across the two petitions. (Lead Maine)

That does not mean the proposed rules have already been adopted.

The petitions compelled DHHS to initiate the rulemaking process. Thursday’s hearing is part of that process, providing the public an opportunity to comment before a final rule is determined.

According to Lead Maine’s published timeline, the organization submitted the petitions June 23, DHHS opened the rulemaking August 19, the public hearing will occur September 10, and the public-comment period closes September 20. (Lead Maine)

DHHS’s official notice independently confirms the August 19 rulemaking notice, September 10 hearing and September 20 comment deadline. (Maine)

Why Does This Matter?

Beyond the substance of the MaineCare proposals themselves, the proceeding offers Mainers a relatively uncommon look at how citizens can directly trigger consideration of changes to administrative rules.

Under Maine law, citizens do not necessarily have to wait for the Legislature to introduce and pass a bill before asking an executive agency to change one of its rules.

Lead Maine specifically says it chose the citizen-rulemaking process as a mechanism for bringing its MaineCare proposals directly before DHHS. (Lead Maine)

In this instance, thousands of signatures gathered through a citizen effort resulted in proposals being formally placed into Maine’s administrative rulemaking process.

What happens to those proposals is not predetermined.

Thursday’s proceeding gives members of the public an opportunity to put their views into the rulemaking record—whether they support the proposals, oppose them, or believe additional safeguards or changes are necessary.

When and Where Is the Hearing?

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services will hold the hearing as a combined in-person and remote proceeding:

Thursday, September 10, 2026
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

In person:
State Office Building
Conference Rooms A & B
109 Capitol Street
Augusta, Maine

Online:
Join the public hearing through the official DHHS Zoom link

The date, location and Zoom link are all published directly by DHHS in its official Notice of Agency Rule-making Proposal. (Maine)

Can’t Attend? Written Comments Are Still Accepted

Mainers who cannot participate in Thursday’s hearing still have an opportunity to comment.

DHHS has established Sunday, September 20, 2026, as the deadline for public comments. The Department identifies MaineCare Policy Manager Heather Pelletier as the contact person for the filing. (Maine)

Heather Pelletier
MaineCare Policy Manager
Office of MaineCare Services
11 State House Station
109 Capitol Street
Augusta, ME 04333-0011

Email: heather.pelletier@maine.gov
Phone: (207) 624-4074

Those contact details are published in the DHHS rulemaking notice. (Maine)

Lead Maine has also established its own public-comment information page, which provides a template and encourages supporters of its proposals to submit comments to DHHS. Because that page is operated by the organization advocating for the proposed changes, readers seeking the government’s official information should refer directly to the DHHS notice linked above. (Lead Maine)

From Citizen Signatures to the Public Record

Regardless of where individual Mainers stand on the substance of the proposals, the path that brought them to Thursday’s hearing is noteworthy.

Lead Maine and Rep. Laurel Libby’s effort gathered thousands of signatures. Maine’s citizen-petition law required DHHS to initiate the rulemaking process once the statutory requirements were satisfied. DHHS formally proposed the amendments. And now the public has an opportunity to respond before the process moves forward. (Lead Maine)

For Mainers unfamiliar with administrative rulemaking, participation does not require being an attorney or policy expert.

Those who participate can explain how the proposed rules could affect them, identify potential benefits or concerns, recommend safeguards or changes, or explain why they believe the proposals should or should not be adopted.

The rules have not yet been finalized. The opportunity to speak is happening now.

Official Sources: Maine DHHS — Notice of Agency Rule-making Proposal | Lead Maine — MaineCare Accountability Project

Support Independent Maine Journalism

The Maine Mirror is committed to independent reporting that helps Mainers better understand the decisions, policies, and institutions that affect their communities.

If you value accessible information, public records, transparency, and accountability, consider supporting our work by subscribing below for free.

There is no cost to subscribe. You’ll receive updates when new reporting is published and help us continue building an independent source of Maine news.

Independent journalism grows when readers choose to support it. Subscribe for free below and stay informed.