A bill has been introduced in the state senate that would restore access to free breast cancer screenings for low-income women. The state has frozen enrollment in the screening program to save money.
The Every Woman Counts program provides free mammograms to more than 300,000 California women.
As of January 1, 2010, enrollment in the program has been capped. Also, the program does not offer screenings to women under age 50.
Laura Farmer Sherman is with Susan G. Komen for the Cure. "Every woman in California who has insurance is legally entitled to a mammogram every year after she turns 40," Sherman points out. "Unfortunately, because of the cuts to the Every Woman Counts Program, every woman doesn't count except those women who have insurance."
The bill in the state senate would restore funding to the program, and would require screenings for all women, regardless of age.
