Official: Get Free Mammograms With New York State Cancer Services

You always hear about the importance of getting a mammogram, but do you actually get one? How often should you be getting one? The baseline is to get one at the age of 40 and then (according to the American Cancer Society) get one every year between the ages of 45 and 54.

What is keeping you from getting one? Is it the cost? Is it that you just don't want to know? In the last two years, both my sister and my sister-in-law have been diagnosed with breast cancer and gone through treatment. My sister-in-law, is still under going treatment. Their prognosis is good because of early detection. 

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How will New York State help you get a free mammogram?

While it would be awesome if you didn't have to make an appointment and could just walk-in to a mammogram center when it was convenient, it doesn't exactly work that way. Here's what you need to be eligible:

• a NYS resident
• not have health insurance
• or have health insurance that (because of cost) may make getting a breast cancer screening cost prohibitive
• You will also need to meet both an income requirement and an age requirement

Ok, you meet the guidelines, potentially, for a free screening, what's next?

The first step is to call them, 1-866-442-CANCER (2262). The New York State Cancer Services can be reached 24-hours a day. You can also reach out to a NYS Cancer Services Program in your county. You can find out where that is by clicking here. These programs are accessible for both men and women.

While you are getting things set for your mammogram screening, here's more information about where cancer causing chemicals were found in New York drinking water 

Think you are alone? Here are a few music stars who have also battled cancer