University Hospitals & Clinics is offering a free screening program for women through a grant funded by the Center for Disease Control in conjunction with LSU’s Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.

The screenings, administered under the Louisiana Breast & Cervical Health Program, are available to eligible women in need of breast exams, mammograms, breast ultrasounds, pelvic exams, pap smears and cervical and breast biopsies.

Patient eligibility depends on various factors, including age, financial status and insurance coverage.  The program is directed at low-income women who rarely or never receive screening services.

Income eligibility is limited to those with an income at or less than an annual salary  of $23,540 or less or $1,960 per month for a family of one.

Cervical cancer screenings are restricted to women between the ages of 21 and 64.  For mammograms, patients must be between the ages of 50 and 64.  Clinical breast exams are also covered for women in their 40s.  However, a woman of any age with a complaint about breast symptoms may also be referred for a free diagnostic exam.

Eligibility is also determined through insurance status.  Uninsured or underinsured women may be eligible.  Women who carry insurance that does not cover pap/mammogram screenings, or who are deterred from early detection screenings because of their deductible or copay, could qualify.

To schedule an appointment, call (337) 266-4838 or 261-6140.

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