Women’s Access to Cancer Screenings
Vermont is one of four states that appropriated no money for breast and cervical cancer screening programs as far back as 2013 according to a report.
The state, however, is still performing the screenings through the Ladies First program for underinsured or underinsured women, according to Nicole Lukas of the Vermont Department of Health.
The program is funded by a federal grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which requires a state match. Vermont meets that requirement by paying providers the Medicare Part B rate for participants’ cancer screenings.
As a result, the state doesn’t need a separate appropriation to pay for the program. The CDC makes similar grants to programs in every state through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early
Detection Program.
The report was authored by the American Cancer Society’s advocacy arm, the Cancer Action Network, which released state-by-state report cards this week that show Vermont earning good overall marks, but lagging in state support for women’s cancer screenings and physical education requirements.
