How South Carolina's program works
Colorectal Cancer Prevention Network (CCPN) is South Carolina's CDC Colorectal Cancer Control Program recipient, and its own program page says it provides colorectal cancer screening for residents who qualify. Call 803-777-1231 or see https://dph.sc.gov/diseases-conditions/diseases/cancer/colorectal-cancer. Nationally, CRCCP funds clinics and health systems to raise screening rates rather than paying for tests one patient at a time, so what a state program covers is set by that state, not by the federal grant. Confirm eligibility and which test is covered before assuming a colonoscopy is free.
Who qualifies. Adults, uninsured or under-insured, per the program page. The USPSTF lowered the screening start age from 50 to 45 in 2021. People with a first-degree relative diagnosed before age 60 should screen earlier; ask the program whether family-history risk changes your eligibility.
What's covered. Ask the program exactly which test it pays for. Most programs start with a stool FIT or FIT-DNA test done at home, and a positive result needs a colonoscopy. Whether the program also pays for that diagnostic colonoscopy is program-specific, so get that answer at intake, in writing if you can, before the test is done.
How to start. First, call 803-777-1231. 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. Ask which test the program starts with (most begin with a stool test you complete at home) and what happens if the result is positive, so the follow-up is arranged before you need it.
For Black families in South Carolina
Black Americans have the highest colorectal-cancer incidence and mortality of any racial group in the US: roughly 20% higher incidence and 40% higher mortality than white Americans (ACS, 2024).
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/.
- Gastroenterology 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/.
- Fight Colorectal Cancer, patient-advocate network with Black-community-focused outreach initiatives: fightcolorectalcancer.org.
References & primary sources
- Colorectal Cancer Prevention Network (CCPN): https://dph.sc.gov/diseases-conditions/diseases/cancer/colorectal-cancer.
- CDC CRCCP recipients and implementation reports: cdc.gov/cancer/crccp.
- USPSTF 2021 Colorectal Cancer Screening Recommendation.
- 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.