Due to COVID, women may have postponed important preventive health exams like mammograms in the past year.

Dr. Marshall Kubota, regional medical director at Partnership HealthPlan of California, or PHC, is reminding women of the importance of taking care of themselves by having a screening mammogram, as recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines.

“Early detection of breast cancer by getting a mammogram can save your life,” Kubota says. “Schedule yours today.”

The guidelines recommend that all women between the ages of 50 and 74 have a screening mammogram once every two years. For PHC members, there is no charge for this exam.

PHC, which administers Medi-Cal benefits for more than 590,000 members across 14 counties in Northern California, is encouraging mammograms via its Well-Woman Birthday Club program, which gives women who complete their mammogram a $30 gift card.

Through the birthday club, members eligible for mammogram screenings get a birthday card from Partnership, the month prior to their birthday, as a reminder to make appointments for yearly preventive exams, including a screening mammogram.

The card lists instructions on how to schedule a mammogram and informs members of the $30 gift card.

PHC has teamed up with primary care providers and all imaging sites in Lake and Mendocino counties to make scheduling a screening mammogram easy.

Dr. Jerry Douglas, chief medical officer with Mendocino Community Health Centers, reminds women, “Don’t put off preventive care for you or your family. Now is a great time to catch up on needed care.”

For questions about the program, members should contact their primary care provider or PHC’s Population Health Department at 855-798-8764.

Partnership HealthPlan of California is a nonprofit community-based health care organization that contracts with the state to administer Medi-Cal benefits. PHC provides quality care to over 600,000 Medi-Cal members.