The Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, which is a statewide program, is available to individuals in Knox, Warren, and Henderson Counties through the Knox County Health Department. Director of Public Health and Community Engagement, Erin Olson, explains how women and men can apply:
“It can assist women and men, because men do get breast cancer also, from the ages of 21 to 64 with cervical cancer screenings and mammograms. You could have insurance that has very high deductible and it will cover your basic mammogram, your pap test, or your cervical cancer screening, but if you get called back for a second time, any maybe your insurance doesn’t cover that. You can call and apply for this grant, and it can help cover the cost of that, even if you are uninsured, underinsured, or have insurance, just if it doesn’t cover parts of any of those services. You can get the paperwork. We have it online on our website at knoxcountyhealth.org or you can call and talk to one of our nurse navigators. You can be referred to pretty much a doctor of your choice, as long as we have an understanding with that hospital.”
For more information, contact the Knox County Health Department at 309-344-2224.
