Where to get a mammogram for low cost, or even free, in the Kansas City area
Health experts worry that the pandemic has made women fearful of getting their mammograms, meaning any breast cancer might be detected after it’s advanced too far.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a reminder to go get screened.
Most health insurance covers the full cost of a basic mammogram. But if you don’t have insurance, you have options:
▪ This month, Swope Health is offering $25 walk-in mammograms for women ages 50 and older. No appointment, insurance or doctor’s order required. 9 a.m. to noon every Tuesday and Thursday at Swope Health Central, 3801 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. 816-923-5800.
▪ In Missouri, the Show Me Healthy Women program offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings for low-income women age 35 to 64 (or older if they don’t have Medicare Part B) and don’t have insurance. A map of providers is at health.mo.gov. 866-726-9926. Local sites listed on the website include the Jackson County Health Department, University Health (formerly Truman Medical Centers/University Health) locations, KC Care Health Center and Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center.
▪ In Kansas, the Early Detection Works program — kdheks.gov/edw — provides free and low-cost breast and cervical cancer screenings. Women 40 to 64 who do not have health insurance and don’t exceed income guidelines can receive breast screenings. 877-277-1368.
▪ The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas health department’s Pink the Dotte program offers free screenings to eligible women through the state’s early detection program. 913-573-8855.
▪ The American Cancer Society provides a link to find a health center near you that offers low-cost or free cancer screenings with no insurance required. findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.
