Free Breast Cancer Screening – I am sure that most of the women out there are already aware of the breast cancer, its risk, and how to increase your chance to successfully overcome the problem. As you may already know, breast cancer is one of the leading causes of women’s death in the United States (and the world).
Getting breast cancer screening or mammogram is important because it dramatically increases the survival rate of the woman. As much as 98% of the cases where the cancer is diagnosed in its early stage successfully get rid of it. Compare that to the 25% chance of survival when the cancer is found in later stage. Today, there are many free mammogram screening available. In fact, the government through the Affordable Care Act has made the screening available for free, under several requirements.
Free Breast Cancer Screening Programs
Free Breast Cancer Screening Program Limitations
You can set up the appointment on your own, but we recommend getting a prescription first from your physician. The mammogram screenings are free for every woman who are over 40 years of age, every one or two years. The woman should also have no symptoms by the time the mammogram was conducted because if you are making an appointment for a screening when there’s a symptom such as a lump in your breast area, the program considers it as a diagnostic test instead of screening. That means that the test won’t be free. Usually, you will be asked for a copayment or use your insurance plan.
Remember, the one service that’s truly free is the screening test. Further medical service such as biopsies, follow-up tests, and treatments are not available for free. Typically copayment, coinsurance or deductibles will be enacted, depending on your current insurance plan. This is true for most cases, but women who are enrolled in the Medicaid or Medicare may have additional benefits, depending on which state you’re in (Medicaid is a state government’s program, hence there may be some difference in the benefits offered). Therefore, if you are it is wise to contact your state’s Medicaid office to learn about the breast cancer screening and treatment benefits you can possibly obtain. Usually, even if you’re asked to co-pay, you will be only required to pay around 20% of the cost.
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)
Aside of the program from Medicaid and Medicare, there’s the free breast cancer mammogram available from the NBCCEDP, available for underserved women across the country. Some of the types that fall into this category are low-income women without insurance, the elderly, and minorities. The service is available for free or for a very affordable cost, and it is not only limited to mammograms, but also diagnostic testing, surgical consultations, and referrals to breast cancer treatments. The NBCCEDP is available in every state in the United States. You can contact them through their website available in our reference section, or you can simply call them at 1-800-CDC-INFO.
Don’t worry, you can easily find free mammogram screening for breast cancer in the United States!
References:
- National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)
- Image: washingtonpost.com
