OTTAWA - The LaSalle County Health Department, through their Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program grant, can pay for mammograms, beginning at age 40 and pap smears at age 35 for women who qualify. To qualify, an individual must be a resident of LaSalle or Grundy County, between the ages of 35-64, and have no insurance (regardless of income), have insurance that has a high deductible that must be met prior to covering wellness services, or insurance that does not cover wellness screenings/diagnostics at all.

The good news is that most women can survive breast cancer if it is found and treated early. A mammogram – the screening test for breast cancer – can help find breast cancer early when it is easier to treat. Low income women and women with no insurance die from breast and cervical cancer more often than other women. These high mortality rates are attributed in part to the fact that these women generally do not receive regular mammograms and pap smears. As a result, cancers are diagnosed at later stages when it is more difficult to treat and the chances for survival are less.

Through IBCCP, the LaSalle County Health Department is working to increase breast and cervical cancer awareness and break that cycle of late stage treatment. IBCCP provides FREE mammograms and pap smears for those women who qualify and assistance with meeting the deductible for those who are insured. They encourage women to take advantage of this opportunity for early detection.

For women who do not qualify for the IBCCP program or have related charges not covered by the IBCCP grant, a limited amount of community donated funds are available to assist with those services. Call (815) 433-3366 for further information on how you may qualify to receive a free mammogram and pap test, or with questions on how the high deductible works.