Kathey Dailey was 59, self-employed, and uninsured when stomach pain sent her to the emergency room in 2023. That visit led to a cancer diagnosis. She had never had a mammogram, mostly because she worried about what it would cost. What she learned afterward is something every uninsured woman on the Suncoast should know: there are programs that cover mammograms completely, no bill required.
Dailey’s screening was paid for by Project Pink, a partnership between Levine Cancer and Charlotte Radiology that includes mobile screening units. She is now fighting stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, and she credits the program with saving her life. Dr. Rhea Rogers, a board-certified physician, shares a similar story — she was diagnosed with breast cancer herself, initially told stage 0, later found to be stage 3. Both women want others to know that free screenings are more common than people assume.
Here in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, the Florida Department of Health and local clinics offer free or low-cost mammogram programs for uninsured and underinsured women. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which makes it a great time to make the call. Have you or someone you love been putting off a mammogram? What’s been holding you back?
