Scoop on Savings – National Mammography Day

This Friday and every third Friday in October is National Mammography Day. In this week’s Scoop on Savings, I looked into how you can get a free or low-cost mammogram.

According to Web MD, the Affordable Care Act makes breast cancer screening and counseling free. That’s a benefit all health plans must cover, at no cost to you.

If you’re covered by ObamaCare, you can get a free mammogram every one to two years, but only if you’re over the age of 40.

Some mammography centers may want a prescription from your primary care physician, or OB/GYN. Keep in mind, mammograms are only free as a screening to women who don’t have symptoms. If you go to the doctor with a symptom — the mammogram is considered a “diagnostic test.”

For women who don’t have health insurance, you can find a center that offers low-cost or free mammograms, by contacting the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, or the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.

National Cancer Institute: 1-800-4-CANCER

American Cancer Society: 1-800-ACS-2345

National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program: 1-888-842-6355