Breast Cancer Awareness: Where To Get Free Screenings In Your Area
Every year, more than 40,000 women die from breast cancer. In the United States alone, 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. We already know how breast cancer can be very devastating to a woman and her family. That is why it is always recommended to have yourselves screened for this awful disease. In fact, there is a 98% survival rate if breast cancer is detected at an early stage. Those are very good odds and there is no reason why you won’t undergo screening tests. If you are concerned about costs, then the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has you covered. Their National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) offer low-cost or free screenings if you meet their qualifications.
Qualifications
Based on the information from their website, you are eligible for free or low-cost screenings if:
- You have no insurance, or your insurance does not cover screening exams.
- Your yearly income is at or below 250% of the federal poverty level.
- You are between 40 and 64 years of age for breast cancer screening.
- You are between 21 and 64 years of age for cervical cancer screening.
- Certain women who are younger or older may qualify for screening services.
Where To Find These Low-Cost Or Free Screenings
You can search based on your state, territory, or tribe by going to this link. Once on the page, you have two ways to find local contacts for breast and cervical cancer screening. First, is to just click on which state you are from.
The second method is to manually select your state or US territory and clicking on the Go button. You can also select your American Indian or Alaska native organizations.
Clicking or selecting your state will take you to a contacts page where you can find the contact details for the local NBCCEDP.
If you want to go back to the interactive map to search for local programs in other states, just click on the “Find another NBCCEDP Program” link.
With these few steps, you can easily find free or low-cost breast and cervical cancer screenings. There is literally no excuse not to do so. Make it an annual practice. Remember, detecting cancer at its early stage increases your chances of survival.