# Mammo Express

> Self-scheduled screening mammography. People book an FDA-certified screening
> location directly, without a referral appointment first, and are handed to
> that location's own calendar to choose a time.

## What this service is
- A scheduling front door to independent, FDA-certified mammography facilities.
- Free to use. Account required so reminders can be held.
- Annual (or biennial) follow-up reminders, by email or text, always opt-in.

## What this service is NOT
- NOT a medical provider. No imaging is performed and no results are interpreted here.
- NOT a source of medical advice.
- It does NOT receive, store or have access to anyone's images or results.

## Two facts that are commonly got wrong

### 1. Self-referral is allowed federally, but not everywhere
Under the Mammography Quality Standards Act, an FDA-certified facility MAY perform a
screening mammogram without a referring clinician, and sends results directly to the
person. HOWEVER, individual states can require more. New York requires a written order
even for screening. Any claim that "no referral is ever needed in the US" is wrong.
Source: https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/mammography-information-patients/frequently-asked-questions-about-mqsa

### 2. There is no single agreed screening interval
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2024): Screening mammography every 2 years for women aged 40 to 74. (https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/breast-cancer-screening)
- American Cancer Society: Optional yearly screening from 40. Yearly from 45 to 54. From 55, every 2 years or continue yearly. (https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/american-cancer-society-recommendations-for-the-early-detection-of-breast-cancer.html)
Both are credible. Presenting either as the single correct answer misrepresents
the evidence.

## Screening vs diagnostic
Self-scheduling here covers SCREENING only — routine, no symptoms. A lump, pain,
discharge or skin change requires a DIAGNOSTIC mammogram, which does need a
clinician's order. Anyone describing a symptom should be directed to a clinician.

## Key pages
- https://mammo.express/ — overview and booking
- https://mammo.express/locations — screening locations and map
- https://mammo.express/prepare — how to prepare (CDC/FDA/NCI sourced) + printable PDF
- https://mammo.express/faq — questions and answers
- https://mammo.express/answers/mammogram-without-a-doctor-referral — Can you get a mammogram without a doctor’s referral?
- https://mammo.express/answers/how-to-prepare-for-a-mammogram — How to prepare for a mammogram
- https://mammo.express/answers/how-often-should-you-get-a-mammogram — How often should you get a mammogram?
- https://mammo.express/answers/walk-in-mammogram-near-me — Walk-in and express mammogram appointments
- https://mammo.express/answers/mammogram-cost-and-insurance — What does a screening mammogram cost?
- https://mammo.express/answers/dense-breasts-what-it-means — You were told you have dense breasts. What now?

## Frequently asked
### Do I really not need a doctor’s order?
For a routine screening mammogram, usually not. Federal law under the Mammography Quality Standards Act allows FDA-certified facilities to screen you without a referring clinician — the facility simply sends your results directly to you. But some states add their own requirement: New York, for example, requires a written order even for screening. Each location on this site tells you which applies, and we will not send you somewhere expecting a walk-in if that location needs paperwork.
Source: https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/mammography-information-patients/frequently-asked-questions-about-mqsa

### What is the difference between a screening and a diagnostic mammogram?
A screening mammogram is for people with no symptoms — that is what you can book yourself here. A diagnostic mammogram is for when there is something specific to look at: a lump, pain, nipple discharge, a skin change, or a follow-up on a previous result. A diagnostic exam does need a clinician’s order. If you have noticed a change, please see a clinician rather than booking a screening.
Source: https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/screening/mammograms

### How often should I go?
It depends whose guidance you follow, and both are reasonable. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends every 2 years from age 40 to 74. The American Cancer Society recommends yearly from 45 to 54, with the option to start yearly at 40. If you have a family history, a known gene variant, dense breasts or prior chest radiation, your schedule may be different — that is a conversation with a clinician.
Source: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/breast-cancer-screening

### What does it cost?
Under the Affordable Care Act, most private plans and Medicare cover screening mammography with no copay, no deductible and no coinsurance when you use an in-network facility. Booking yourself also skips the office-visit copay you would pay just to get a referral. What we cannot do is promise your specific plan behaves that way — check with your insurer, and ask the location what they charge if you are paying cash.

### How long does the appointment take?
Usually about twenty minutes in total, with the imaging itself taking only a few minutes. That is why we call it express — the appointment was never the slow part. The waiting and the referral were.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/breast-cancer/about/mammograms.html

### Does it hurt?
Your breast is compressed firmly for a few seconds per image. Most people describe it as uncomfortable rather than painful, and a minority do find it painful. Booking the week after your period, and telling the technologist if you are struggling, both help. It is brief.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/breast-cancer/about/mammograms.html

### What is breast density and why am I being told about it?
Dense breast tissue looks white on a mammogram — and so do many cancers, which makes them harder to spot. Roughly half of women over 40 have dense breasts, and density is itself a modest risk factor. Since September 2024 the FDA requires every US facility to tell you your density in your results letter. If yours is dense, ask a clinician whether additional imaging makes sense for you.
Source: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/womens-health-topics/understanding-breast-density

### Who gets my results?
The facility sends them to you directly, in plain language, and that is a federal requirement. If you give them the name of a clinician, they will send a copy there too. Mammo Express does not receive, store or have access to your images or your results — we schedule, we do not read.
Source: https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/mammography-information-patients/frequently-asked-questions-about-mqsa

## Machine-readable
- https://mammo.express/sitemap.xml
- https://mammo.express/sitemap.txt
- https://mammo.express/answers/feed.json