Free mammograms in Kentucky — Kentucky Women's Cancer Screening Program

Kentucky Women's Cancer Screening Program is Kentucky's NBCCEDP grantee — the channel through which women in Kentucky get a free mammogram plus diagnostic follow-up. Call 1-844-249-0708 or visit https://www.chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/dpqi/cdpb/Pages/kwcsp.aspx to start the eligibility check. Intake usually takes 15-20 minutes and can be done by phone.

Who qualifies. Women ages 40-64, uninsured or with coverage that leaves a deductible or copay above what you can afford, with household income up to 250% of the federal poverty level (roughly $36,000 for a single woman at 250% FPL, $65,000 for a family of three). Most states serve women regardless of immigration status through NBCCEDP; the program was designed to backstop gaps the ACA marketplace and Medicaid miss. Some states — California at 200% FPL, Massachusetts at 300% FPL — adjust the threshold upward; others cap at the federal 250%.

What's covered. If a mammogram is abnormal, the program pays for the diagnostic workup — ultrasound, diagnostic mammogram, MRI, or biopsy — at no charge. If the biopsy finds cancer, the federal Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act (BCCPTA, Public Law 106-354) triggers Medicaid treatment eligibility — no separate Medicaid application is required in any state. Transportation and interpretation are covered in most state programs where they are a barrier to completing a scheduled appointment — ask the intake coordinator specifically.

Kentucky's KWCSP operates through 52 local health departments plus the Markey Cancer Center at the University of Kentucky, which handles follow-up diagnostics and treatment navigation.