State offers free breast, cervical cancer screenings for women who are uninsured, unable to pay
Hawaiʻi Department of Health offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings through the Hawaiʻi Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program to women who meet age, income and insurance requirements.
An online form to determine program eligibility is now available. Submissions are reviewed by department staff, and applicants are contacted within 5 to 10 business days.
Eligibility requirements
- Age: Women age 40 to 64
- Income: At or below 250% of the federal poverty level
- Insurance: No health insurance or underinsured; people are considered underinsured if they are insured but cannot afford their insurance co-pay or deductible or their insurance plan does not cover cancer screening
Women are connected with free screening services if they are eligible.
The public is encouraged to click here to determine eligibility for a free mammogram. Women with health insurance can also use the website to locate a mammogram provider.
The screening form is being promoted as part of “Go and Know,” a new public service announcement campaign encouraging women to get a mammogram starting at age 40.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in Hawaiʻi; an average of 1,287 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and 172 die from the disease each year in the islands.
Mammograms are the most effective way to detect breast cancer early, often up to 3 years before it can be felt or causes symptoms. About 25% of women in Hawaiʻi age 40 years old and older in 2024 had not received a mammogram during the previous 2 years.
“Life can be busy. If you’ve been delaying your mammogram, it’s important to make time,” said Hawaiʻi Department of Health Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division Administrator Lola Irvin. “Postponing screening may delay life-saving treatment. When found early, the breast cancer survival rate is more than 90%.”
The Go and Know – Schedule a Mammogram campaign launched in August and runs through November.
