Alarming and disconcerting.
That’s how we describe the idea that some women are forgoing tests that can save their lives because they don’t have insurance coverage or are unsure of when to have the tests.
The American Cancer Society estimates that this year 3,520 women in Minnesota will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 640 Minnesota women will die from the disease.
Annual mammography has been reported to reduce breast cancer deaths in women age 40 and older by detecting the disease in its earliest stages when it is most easily treated.
A program offered by the Minnesota Department of Health, Sage Screening Program, provides year-round, free breast and cervical cancer screenings to uninsured and underinsured women age 40 years and older.
Sage has a network of more than 430 statewide health care providers, and has served over 138,000 women since 1991. More than 2,000 women have been diagnosed and treated for breast and cervical cancer through Sage, according to MDH.
Locally, the Rainy Lake Medical Center hospital campus and the Koochiching Family Planning Clinic, located at 205 Third St., are a part of the network.
Women seeking eligibility information about the free mammography program, or women who want to make an appointment for a free mammogram, should call Sage at 1-888-6-HEALTH (1-888-643-2584).
Sage will coordinate through the local providers to schedule the mammograms.
There’s no good reason not to have a mammogram. And with Sage, money or lack of it, shouldn’t hinder any woman from getting this test.
