Overview

• The USPSTF recommends that average-risk women begin biennial mammograms at age 40 and continue until age 74.
• Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers must cover these screenings without any cost-sharing.
• An April 2025 Annenberg Public Policy Center survey finds that only 49 percent of adults know the recommended starting age.
• Knowledge varies sharply by age, with 72 percent of women aged 40–49 informed compared with 37 percent of those aged 18–29.
• Experts attribute ongoing uncertainty to frequent guideline revisions and conflicting advice from major health bodies.