Important: Cervical Cancer Screening Expansion

We are so pleased to share with you a major legislative victory that will improve women’s health in Colorado by expanding Women’s Wellness Connection (WWC) cervical cancer screenings to women starting at age 21, instead of 40, tentatively starting January 2017.

Governor Hickenlooper recently signed HB16-1405, the Long Appropriations Bill for 2016-17 which is Colorado’s state budget. While the Long Bill includes many important items, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is excited to announce that the bill includes expanded eligibility for cervical cancer screening within the WWC program.

Women must continue to meet all other WWC eligibility requirements (income, lawful presence, etc.). This change allows the WWC program to align with national guidelines for age and cervical cancer screening and make great strides to improve women’s health. WWC age eligibility for breast cancer screenings will remain for women ages 40-64.

Women who meet WWC age and income eligibility criteria who are diagnosed with breast and/or cervical cancers may be eligible for enrollment into the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP) through Medicaid. Therefore, in order to implement this programmatic change, both CDPHE and the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) are working together to modify each program’s systems, guidelines and processes to provide screening, diagnostic and treatment services, if needed, to eligible women in this expanded age group. 

We will continue to update you when additional information is available as we move closer to implementation. Please contact Angela Fellers LeMire, WWC Nurse Consultant at 303-692-2323 or Angela.FellersLeMire@state.co.us if you have questions about this change.