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 South Carolina's program works
Best Chance Network is South Carolina's NBCCEDP grantee, the channel through which women in South Carolina get a free mammogram plus diagnostic follow-up. Call 800-450-4611 or visit https://dph.sc.gov/diseases-conditions/diseases/cancer/best-chance-network-bcn to start the eligibility check.
Who qualifies. Women ages 21-64, 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, per the program page. Income limits and age bands are set by each state, so confirm yours at intake. The program was designed to backstop gaps the ACA marketplace and Medicaid miss.
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.
How to start. First, call 800-450-4611. Expect a short eligibility screen covering your age, household income and insurance, then a referral to a participating clinic or provider near you; have a recent pay stub or other proof of income ready, because most programs ask for it at the first visit. If you are insured but a deductible or copay is what stands between you and the test, say so: under-insured women qualify in most states, and the intake worker will tell you if yours is one.
For Black families in South Carolina
Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women (ACS, 2024), despite similar incidence rates: the gap traces to later-stage diagnosis, higher triple-negative rates, and uneven access to timely follow-up.
For Black women and families in South Carolina, 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 South Carolina
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in South Carolina: 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/sc/.
- Obstetrics and Gynecology providers in South Carolina: our provider directory filters to this state and specialty. See /providers/sc/.
- Medicaid in South Carolina: 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/south-carolina/.
- Black Health outcomes in South Carolina: see state-level race-stratified data at /health/south-carolina/.
- Sisters Network Inc., national survivor organization with local chapters supporting Black women diagnosed with breast cancer: sistersnetworkinc.org.
References & primary sources
- Best Chance Network: https://dph.sc.gov/diseases-conditions/diseases/cancer/best-chance-network-bcn.
- CDC NBCCEDP program directory: cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp.
- American Cancer Society Cancer Statistics Center state profile: cancerstatisticscenter.cancer.org.
- CDC WONDER race-stratified mortality query, South Carolina, three-year aggregate 2020-2022: wonder.cdc.gov.
Data refreshed:
Free and low-cost screening by city in South Carolina
Other free screening programs in South Carolina
Where to go next in South Carolina
The program is the funding. These are the places in South Carolina that do the screening, and the coverage behind them.