Do you know that Maine has a comprehensive breast and cervical cancer early detection program? Early detection is currently the best way to combat breast and cervical cancer. The program helps low-income, uninsured and underinsured women gain access to breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services.
The goals of the Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program (MBCHP) are:
• To reduce breast and cervical cancer morbidity and mortality through early detection, public and professional education, quality assurance and surveillance;
• To provide breast and cervical cancer screening and follow-up services to low-income Maine women;
• To provide public education to encourage all Maine women to obtain regular breast and cervical cancer screening;
• To support professional education in breast/cervical cancer control issues;
• To provide assistance and support to health professionals and health care organizations to assure the quality of services delivered;
• To implement surveillance and evaluation systems to monitor the status of the diseases and progress of the program; and
• To link women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer to the Maine Treatment Act for treatment services.
Women age 35-64 who are at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level; and who have no coverage, or insufficient coverage, for breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services may be eligible for assistance through the MBCHP. Special emphasis is made for women who have never or rarely been screened for breast and/or cervical cancer, Native Americans, and other racial, ethnic, and cultural minorities.
The program funds nearly 300 provider sites around the state, 15 in Aroostook County, for screening and diagnostic services including but not limited to clinical breast exams, pelvic exams, and Pap tests, mammography, and diagnostic services for women with abnormal screening results.
For more information or to enroll in the Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program, please call 800-350-5180 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The MBCHP program is funded through a cooperative agreement with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.
