Do you book your doctors’ appointments in advance?  A little advance planning now helps you keep up with important health checks that could save your life one day.

Case in point: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Scheduling your mammogram now is a big step toward reducing your risk for breast cancer. It may help you:

• Book time before appointments fill up
• Make sure your preferred location is in-network
• Register for the Rewards program – and possibly earn a $25 reward

Cancer screening exams, like mammograms, are designed to find cancers at an early stage when they can be treated with better success.

Here are some ideas about ways you can get ready for your mammogram. They might help make your screening easier.

Preparing for Your Mammogram

Wondering what to do before your exam? Johns Hopkins Medicine   offers facts about mammograms. 

• Wear something comfortable and easy to remove. You’ll undress from your waist up and wear a gown.
• Don’t wear perfume, deodorant or powder. They may look like white spots on the x-ray.
• Be ready to talk about any breast changes or symptoms you’ve noticed. Your health care team needs to know this vital information.

Also, if you see a new doctor or change your screening location, have your previous mammograms sent to the new location before your appointment. This will let the radiologist compare the images and check for changes in your breasts. 

Mammogram Results

After your screening, your results will be sent to your doctor for review.  Next, you’ll likely get a letter in the mail with your mammogram results.  

Your doctor can let you know when you should have your next screening. The letter may also have recommendations for next steps. Follow up with your doctor about any questions. 

Prevention Has Its Rewards

After your mammogram, you may earn a $25 gift card. BCBSTX Medicare Advantage members can earn rewards for taking better care of themselves. Just a friendly reminder, you need to register for the Rewards program to earn rewards.

Would you like to get more content like this? Sign up for a Connect account today. 

The Healthy Activity Portal is a website owned and operated by HealthMine, Inc., an independent company that provides digital health and personal clinical engagement tools and services for Blue Cross Medicare Advantage^SM members.

BCBSTX makes no endorsement, representations or warranties regarding third-party vendors and the products and services offered by them.

Registration is required to participate. Visit www.BlueRewardsTX.com   to register and see what Healthy Actions earn rewards. Maximum annual rewards of $100 in gift cards. One reward per Healthy Action per year. Healthy Action dates of service must be in the current plan year.  Healthy Actions that earn rewards are subject to change.

Source: Health – Breast,   Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Important Plan Information 
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Originally published May 30, 2017; Revised 2019, 2020, 2021