University Hospitals & Clinics Offering Free Screenings to Eligible Patients

University Hospitals & Clinics (UHC) 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 (LBCHP), 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 200% of the national poverty level (an annual salary in 2015 of $23,540 or less, or $1,960 per month for a family of one).

Age restrictions also apply. 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 (mass, pain, etc.) 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.

UHC staffs a Patient Navigator to assist patients with making or rescheduling appointments and overcoming any obstacles that may prevent them from accessing the screening process. While the program does not cover treatment for women diagnosed with cervical or breast cancer, the Patient Navigator can assist such patients in applying for Medicaid “Fast Track to Coverage” enrollment.

Since July 2014, UHC has performed more than 358 mammograms and more than 500 pap smears resulting in more than 2,009 procedures on over 622 women. Among those patients, two were diagnosed with cervical cancer and one with breast cancer.

Patients can check their financial eligibility by visiting UHC’s Financial Screening Department on the 7th floor of the hospital, located at the corner of Congress Street and Bertrand Drive. To schedule an appointment, call (337) 266-4838 or 261-6140. No referral is required. For more information on LBCHP.