DOH offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings for women who are uninsured and unable to pay

The 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.

To be eligible, women must be between 40 and 64 years old, have an income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, and have no health insurance or are underinsured. Persons 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 

An online form to determine program eligibility is now available. Submissions are reviewed by DOH staff, and applicants are contacted within five to 10 business days. If eligible, women are connected with free screening services.

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. In Hawaiʻi, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women. On average, 1,287 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and 172 die from the disease each year in Hawaiʻi, according to Hawai‘i Cancer at a Glance.

Mammograms are the most effective way to detect breast cancer early, often up to three years before it can be felt or causes symptoms, according to the CDC’s Breast Cancer data. In 2024, approximately 25% of women age 40 and older in Hawaiʻi had not received a mammogram in the previous two years, according to the National Cancer Institute’s State Cancer Profiles.

“Life can be busy. If you’ve been delaying your mammogram, it’s important to make time,” said Lola Irvin, administrator of the DOH Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division. “Postponing screening may delay life-saving treatment. When found early, the breast cancer survival rate is more than 90%,” according to the NCI’s Breast Cancer data.

The Go and Know – Schedule a Mammogram campaign launched in August and will run through November on television, radio, digital, social media, print and mall advertising.

The public is encouraged to visit mammogram.hawaii.gov to determine eligibility for a free mammogram. Women with health insurance can also use the website to locate a mammogram provider.