Ill. Gov. Blagojevich Announces Expansion Of No-Cost Breast, Cervical Cancer Screening Program For Uninsured Women

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) on Sunday announced that the income eligibility limit for the Illinois Department of Public Health's Breast and Cervical Cancer Program -- which provides some uninsured women with no-cost screenings for the cancers -- will be raised from 200% to 250% of the federal poverty level, the Edwardsville Intelligencer reports (Capel, Edwardsville Intelligencer, 5/16). The program provides eligible women between the ages of 40 and 64 with mammograms and breast exams at no cost, and it provides eligible women between the ages of 35 and 64 with no-cost pelvic exams and Pap tests (Chicago Sun-Times, 5/15). Uninsured younger women who have annual incomes too high to qualify but show symptoms of breast or cervical cancer also can be considered for the program on a case-by-case basis (Belleville News-Democrat, 5/15). Blagojevich's plan also allows eligible women who were diagnosed with cancer outside the program to receive treatment services at no cost. Such women previously were not allowed to participate. The recently approved state budget includes $3.6 million in new funding and $2 million in federal funding for the program. The program has provided about 150,000 breast and cervical cancer screenings since 1995, and 425 women currently are enrolled in the program (Blagojevich release, 5/14).


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