Black Health
NBCCEDP New Jersey

Free mammograms in New Jersey — New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection

New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection

The program, the phone, the eligibility

New Jersey offers free mammograms through New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection — call 1-800-328-3838 to check eligibility (typical age 40-64, income up to 250% of the federal poverty line).

Call 1-800-328-3838 Visit New Jersey program

Primary source: https://www.state.nj.us/health/ccp/ceed/

What the program pays for

  • Screening mammogram
  • Clinical breast exam
  • Diagnostic follow-up (ultrasound, MRI, biopsy)
  • Case management to treatment if cancer is found

How New Jersey's program works

New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection is New Jersey's NBCCEDP grantee — the channel through which women in New Jersey get a free mammogram plus diagnostic follow-up. Call 1-800-328-3838 or visit https://www.state.nj.us/health/ccp/ceed/ 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.

New Jersey's CEED program operates through 20 regional lead agencies and partners with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey for follow-up. Newark Beth Israel and University Hospital Newark handle the largest Black-population screening volumes.

For Black families in New Jersey

New Jersey Black women's breast-cancer mortality is 28.2 per 100,000 versus 19.6 for white women (New Jersey State Cancer Registry, 2022).

For Black women and families in New Jersey, the practical route is rarely an abstract national program. It is a local clinic or community navigator who answers the phone, walks you through the intake, and follows up when the appointment letter is delayed. The state program line above is the fastest way to be matched to a navigator serving your county.

Community partners that have historically carried this work — Sisters Network chapters, the Black Mamas Matter Alliance network, the National Black Nurses Association, local churches affiliated with Faith in Public Life, and the NAACP health committees — often maintain navigator lists outside the state portal. If the state line doesn't route cleanly, call the nearest FQHC (every FQHC has certified navigators on staff under federal 330-grant rules).

Where to get help in New Jersey

  • Federally Qualified Health Centers in New Jersey: every FQHC takes Medicaid, charges a sliding scale for uninsured patients, and participates in free-screening pathways. See our FQHC directory for this state at /clinics/nj/.
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology providers in New Jersey: our provider directory filters to this state and specialty. See /providers/nj/.
  • Medicaid in New Jersey: if you qualify for Medicaid, the free-screening pathway extends to treatment if cancer is found (BCCPTA, Public Law 106-354). See our Medicaid navigator at /medicaid/new-jersey/.
  • Black Health outcomes in New Jersey: see state-level race-stratified data at /health/new-jersey/.
  • Sisters Network Inc. — national survivor organization with local chapters supporting Black women diagnosed with breast cancer: sistersnetworkinc.org.

References & primary sources

Data refreshed:

Other free screening programs in New Jersey

Cervical cancer Colorectal cancer Cardiovascular Diabetes prevention