WA nonprofit launches fund to keep cancer screenings free

A critical safety net for women's cancer screenings in Washington is running dangerously low on funds. Now one non-profit in Everett is stepping up to keep it alive. Fox 13's Frankie Thompson explains how a new fund aims to bridge a massive federal budget gap. For 35 years, the Washington State Department of Health has helped uninsured and underinsured women get free breast and cervical cancer screenings. For two decades, Everett-based non-profit Citrine Health has helped the state run the program, a vital lifeline in Washington that ranks in the bottom 10 nationwide for mammograms. 8,073 women had the opportunity to do something about the cancer that they didn't know they had until... They came through our program. But now, continuous federal budget cuts to the Department of Health have slashed funding, putting the program on track to run out of money by December. There's been a 60% reduction to the point that... The program becomes unsustainable. To keep these screenings free, Citrine Health launched the Washington Health Screening Fund, turning to private donors to cover the costs. So that women all around the state can still access. You know, screenings. According to state data, more than 400,000 Washingtonians are uninsured, meaning high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs often keep them from getting preventative care. Malum says catching cancer early is critical. She hopes the community steps up so they can keep serving symptomatic women across the state. To help protect their neighbors, their friends, their, you know, how many people do we all know who don't have health insurance? Malum says every dollar donated to the new fund goes directly toward early detection, which doesn't just lower long-term health care costs, it saves lives. And this is the one that we're fighting for now. Citrine Health serves thousands of people across King, Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, San Juan, and Island counties. This new fund will expand the reach statewide. Reporting in Everett, Frankie Thompson, FOX 13 News.