What the program pays for
- Pap test
- HPV test (co-testing for ages 30+)
- Colposcopy for abnormal results
- Case management to treatment if cancer is found
How District of Columbia's program works
WISH Cancer Screening Program is District of Columbia's NBCCEDP grantee, the channel through which women in District of Columbia get a free pap smear plus diagnostic follow-up. Call 202-442-5900 or visit https://dchealth.dc.gov/service/wish-cancer-screening-program to start the eligibility check.
Who qualifies. Women, uninsured or with coverage that leaves a deductible or copay above what you can afford, 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 Pap or HPV test is abnormal, the program pays for colposcopy, cervical biopsy, LEEP, and cone biopsy at no charge. If cervical cancer is found, the federal Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act (Public Law 106-354) triggers Medicaid treatment eligibility: no separate Medicaid application is required. 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 202-442-5900. 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 District of Columbia
Black women die from cervical cancer at roughly twice the rate of white women (CDC WONDER, 2020-2022 three-year average), a disease that is nearly fully preventable with screening and HPV vaccination.
For Black women and families in District of Columbia, 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 District of Columbia
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in District of Columbia: 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/dc/.
- Obstetrics and Gynecology providers in District of Columbia: our provider directory filters to this state and specialty. See /providers/dc/.
- Medicaid in District of Columbia: 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/district-of-columbia/.
- Black Health outcomes in District of Columbia: see state-level race-stratified data at /health/district-of-columbia/.
- Cervivor, cervical-cancer survivor network with Black-women-led community chapters: cervivor.org.
References & primary sources
- WISH Cancer Screening Program: https://dchealth.dc.gov/service/wish-cancer-screening-program.
- 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, District of Columbia, three-year aggregate 2020-2022: wonder.cdc.gov.
Data refreshed:
Free and low-cost screening by city in District of Columbia
Other free screening programs in District of Columbia
Where to go next in District of Columbia
The program is the funding. These are the places in District of Columbia that do the screening, and the coverage behind them.