1. What are the recommended screening guidelines for breast cancer?
Visit www.michigancancer.org/WhatWeDo/BreastCancer.cfm to download the Michigan Cancer Consortium recommendations for early detection of breast cancer.

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2. What are the recommended screening guidelines for cervical cancer?
Visit www.michigancancer.org/WhatWeDo/CervicalCancer.cfm to download the Michigan Cancer Consortium recommendations for early detection of cervical cancer.

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3. What women are eligible for the program?
Women eligible for the BCCCP must meet the following criteria:

• Have an income at or below 250 percent of federal poverty level (see chart below);

• Be uninsured or underinsured for these tests; and

• Be age 40 - 64 for breast/cervical cancer screening and for diagnostic follow-up of breast/cervical abnormalities or
  
  Be age 18 - 39 and have been identified with a cervical abnormality through the Family Planning program (Title X).

Note: Women who are enrolled in a managed care program, a health maintenance organization, or Medicare Part B are not eligible for the BCCCP.

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4. Can underinsured women be seen by the program?
Yes, the BCCCP can also serve low- and moderate-income women with some types of insurance, but their insurer must be billed first for services provided. If their insurance does not cover one or more of the services, they may be eligible for free services.

Note: Women who are enrolled in a managed care program, a health maintenance organization, or Medicare Part B are not eligible for the BCCCP.

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5. What screening and diagnostic services are reimbursed by the BCCCP?
Through these local public health programs, an eligible women aged 40 - 64 can receive screening services free of charge, such as:

• clinical breast exam;
• Pap test;
• pelvic exam; and
• screening mammogram.

Family Planning women enrolled in the BCCCP are eligible to receive cervical diagnostic services.

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6. What if a breast or cervical abnormality is detected?
If a breast and/or cervical abnormality is detected from the screening test/exam, the woman will be referred to community providers for follow-up. More than 75 diagnostic services are covered through the BCCCP. Some of these include:

• diagnostic mammograms;
• ultrasounds;
• breast biopsies;
• colposcopy services;
• colposcopy-directed biopsy services;
• medical consultations; and
• selected anesthesia services.

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7. What type of reimbursement is available to reimburse providers for their services?
The BCCCP reimburses providers at the Medicare rate for screening services for eligible women, including:

• clinical breast exam;
• Pap test;
• pelvic exam; and
• screening mammogram.

If a woman has some insurance coverage, the provider will bill that first, and then submit the remainder of the bill to the BCCCP third party administrator for BCCCP payment. The total reimbursement cannot exceed the BCCCP rate. Women must never be billed for the services they receive through the BCCCP.

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8. Does the BCCCP pay for cancer treatment if a breast or cervical cancer is diagnosed through the program?
In the event of a diagnosis of breast or cervical cancer through the BCCCP, a woman may be eligible for Medicaid coverage. If eligible, Medicaid will pay for all of her medical expenses for as long as she is being treated for the cancer. Once treatment is no longer needed, the woman is then potentially eligible (once again, based upon age and income) for continued annual screening services through the BCCCP.

Note: Women who are illegal aliens, although eligible for BCCCP services, cannot receive Medicaid coverage. Federal law limits Medicaid coverage to citizens and legal aliens.

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9. How long is a woman eligible to receive Medicaid coverage for her cancer treatment?
A woman remains eligible for Medicaid coverage until:

• her health professional deems she is free from cancer and will not require continued cancer therapy or
  
• she no longer meets the eligibility criteria for this program (e.g., has obtained creditable insurance coverage, has reached the age of 65 and has Medicare Part B, or has an income that exceeds 250 percent of the federal poverty level).

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10. Have there been any recent, major improvements in the Title XV Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program?
Yes, effective July 1, 2001, cancer/pre-cancer treatment for eligible women diagnosed in the BCCCP can now be paid for by the Michigan Medicaid program.

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11. Why should I choose to be a BCCCP provider?
There are several benefits to becoming a BCCCP enrolled provider. They include:

• Patient satisfaction — You can provide breast and cervical screening services and many diagnostic services at no charge to your low- and moderate-income women.
• Case management — Working with the BCCCP agency, case management services can be provided to assist you in following women who have breast or cervical screening abnormalities.
• Access to Medicaid — Women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer through the BCCCP are eligible to apply for Medicaid coverage that provides all medical care for them through the entire course of their treatment.
• Quality of care — Working closely with the BCCCP, you can receive reports on the care delivered to women in the program. Michigan's BCCCP currently meets/exceeds the quality of care performance standards established by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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12. How can I get more details and become a BCCCP provider?
To find out more about how you can become a provider for the Michigan BCCCP, call the Michigan BCCCP office at 517-335-9161 or contact your local coordinating agency.

Contact information for consumers to use:

Listing, By County, of Michigan BCCCP Referral Agencies (revised March 10, 2008; available as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file)*

Contact information for providers to use:

Healthcare Provider Contacts at Michigan BCCCP Local Coordinating Agencies (revised July 2, 2008; available as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file)*

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13. Are any other services available to BCCCP clients?
Yes, some BCCCP clients are eligible to receive cardiovascular screening, as well as lifestyle counseling services. These services are only available to BCCCP clients who are also enrolled in the Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation (WISEWOMAN) Program.

The WISEWOMAN Program is an extension of the BCCCP and focuses on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor reduction. CVD risk factors are assessed via blood pressure and cholesterol screening and evaluation of health history and current behaviors related to nutrition, physical activity, and smoking. Based on their CVD risk factors, clients work with lifestyle counselors to determine their lifestyle behavior change goals. These goals focus on changes to nutrition, physical activity, and smoking behaviors.

To help clients achieve their lifestyle behavior change goals, lifestyle counselors provide follow-up contacts with the clients. Support, encouragement, reinforcement, and education are offered during these lifestyle counseling sessions.

The WISEWOMAN Program is currently offered by the following nine health departments:

• District Health Department #2 (Alcona, Iosco, Ogemaw, and Oscoda counties);
• District Health Department #4 (Alpena, Cheboygan, Montmorency, and Presque Isle counties);
• District Health Department #10 (Crawford, Kalkaska, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Missaukee, Newaygo, Oceana, and Wexford counties);
• Genesee County Health Department;
• Huron County Health Department (Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola counties);
• Ingham County Health Department (Ingham and Washtenaw counties);
• Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department (Berrien County);
• Lenawee County Health Department; and
• Public Health Delta & Menominee Counties.

For more information about the WISEWOMAN Program, visit www.cdc.gov/wisewoman/index.htm.

*Please Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open, view and print this file once it has been downloaded. If you need a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader, please click here.

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last updated: 07/10/08

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