Uninsured And Underinsured Women In Louisiana Get Free Annual Wellness Visits

SWLA Center For Health Services in Lake Charles, wants to get the word out that they're offering "No Cost" wellness visits for women in the area.  The center is located at 2000 Opelousas Street, and they are promoting the Louisiana Breast & Cervical Cancer Program.  This is a program that offers uninsured and underinsured women an opportunity to get annual Pap Smears and Mammograms, at no cost.  These are life saving screenings that ALL women need to have at least once a year.

When it comes down to it, the statistics of women with breast or cervical cancer in Louisiana is through the roof.  Louisiana ranks 33rd in the nation with the highest cases of breast cancer, and has the 2nd highest death rate.  Cervical cancer is preventable, yet woman in Louisiana still have the 4th highest death rate in the nation, with the 6th highest incidence of this disease.  Believe it or not  African American women are at a higher risk of developing these cancers, than women of any other race.  Women in their 50's and 60's think they no longer need these screenings, but they are sadly mistaken.

There are a lot of women who fall through the cracks, even with the medicaid expansion,  when it comes to health insurance, which is why so many are dying.  The good news is, something is being done about that.  Now ALL women can have yearly wellness examines at "No Cost."   The Louisiana Breast & Cervical Cancer Program is targeting those women and SWLA Center For Health Services Lake Charles, is saving lives in the process.  To qualify for this program the criteria is as follows:

*You must be between the ages of 21 - 54 for free pap smears, and 50 - 64 years of age to receive free mammograms.

*Don't qualify for medicaid or medicare.

*Can't afford a  basic health insurance plan.

To find out if you qualify or to learn how to apply for this "No Cost" program, call Ashley at (337) 439 - 9983 ex. 1247.  Applicants must sign-up at SWLA Center For Health Services Lake Charles in person, just ask for Ashley.  The process is simple and takes minutes to set-up, so stop in today and make your first appointment.  Ladies the only way to lower the number of women dying in Louisiana, or have the highest impact in eliminating these cancers starts with prevention.  Breast and cervical cancer screenings once a year, can mean the difference between life and death.  Prevention is the key to early detection and treatment.