Vision
The purpose of the West Virginia Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program (BCCSP) is to decrease cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality by focusing on populations who are underserved and who have increased cancer risk due to health inequities.
History
Breast and cervical cancer affects thousands of women each year across the United States with greater impact on those with limited access to care. Early detection and treatment of breast and cervical cancer through screening reduces mortality rates and greatly improves cancer patients’ survival. However, there is a disproportionately low rate of screening among women of racial and ethnic minorities and among those who are under- or uninsured, which creates a wide gap in health outcomes. To address this health inequity, Congress authorized the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act of 1990, directing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to implement a national strategic effort for increasing access to breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services for women in need. For the purpose of our program, the term “women” (and the pronouns “she” and “her”) includes transgender men.
Those who are diagnosed with cancer through this program may be eligible for treatment through Medicaid coverage as authorized by the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment and Prevention Act passed by Congress in 2000.
Priority Populations and Eligibility
The BCCSP eligible population includes those who are uninsured or underinsured, at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, aged 40 to 64 years for breast cancer services, and aged 21-64 years for cervical cancer services. Those who are symptomatic or high-risk under the age of 40 years and those over the age of 64 who do not have Medicare Part B may also receive services through the program.
Those who are underinsured have out-of-pocket cost sharing required by their health insurance plans that they cannot afford. This is often a barrier for getting appropriate testing. These persons may be eligible to receive support from BCCSP to cover their out-of-pocket expenses.
WVBCCSP seeks to achieve health equity by targeting efforts to populations disproportionately affected by cancer such as having higher mortality or rate of late-stage disease.
Healthy People 2030 Objectives
In accordance with the Healthy People 2030 core objectives for the nation, this program focuses on addressing the national cancer burden. Measurable outcomes are in alignment with the following performance objectives:
- Reduce the female breast cancer death rate (C-04)
- Increase the proportion of females who get screened for breast cancer (C-05)
- Increase the proportion of females who get screened for cervical cancer (C-09)
BCCSP Focus
The focus of the BCCSP is to increase breast and cervical cancer screening. The program provides direct screening and diagnostic services for breast and cervical cancer, assists with implementation of evidence-based interventions to increase screening within partner clinics, and works with community partners to actively outreach and link women to clinical services.
For BCCSP, this emphasis is reflected within 5 strategies:
- Use of cancer and surveillance data to identify program-eligible populations and specific populations of focus who experience health disparities.
- Support partnerships with community-based organizations, community health workers, cancer coalitions, and other chronic disease programs to reach populations of focus and maximize access to screening.
- Deliver breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services with a prioritization on populations that experience high mortality and rates of late-stage disease at diagnosis. Also assist individuals into and through the screening and diagnostic continuum using community health workers, patient navigators, and local partners to overcome barriers and address social determinants of health.
- Work with partner clinics providing screening and diagnostic services to implement evidence-based interventions which increase access to, delivery of, and demand for breast and cervical cancer screening.
- Monitor program efforts and evaluate outcomes to assess program effectiveness.
Integrated Office Visit with WISEWOMAN
CDC's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) offers an established framework that provides the opportunity to target other chronic diseases among women, including heart disease. The authorization of the Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for WOMen Across the Nation (WISEWOMAN) program is an extension of the NBCCEDP to expand the preventive services being offered to women served by the BCCSP. The intent of the WISEWOMAN legislation is to provide chronic disease risk factor screening and health education interventions to women enrolled in the BCCSP, in an effort to lower their risk of heart disease and stroke. The intent and benefit of coupling the two programs is to create a stronger link to ensure that as many women aged 40-64 as possible who are enrolled in the BCCSP also receive appropriate cardiovascular disease risk assessment and risk reduction in West Virginia..read more