Cancer Screenings in Hilo & Across Hawaiʻi — Medicaid (QUEST) Accepted

Cancer screening means testing for common cancers before they cause symptoms, when they are most treatable and often curable. The right screenings depend on your age, sex, and risk factors, and following them is one of the most powerful things you can do for your health. At Ohana Care Clinic in Hilo, we keep your screenings on schedule using U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidance.

Why screening matters

Many cancers grow silently for years before they cause any symptoms. Screening lets us find them, or even find pre-cancerous changes, at a stage when treatment is far more likely to succeed. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reviews the evidence and recommends the screenings with proven benefit, which is the standard we follow.

The screenings that matter most

For colorectal cancer, screening is recommended for adults beginning at age 45 and continuing to 75, with several testing options. For breast cancer, the Task Force recommends mammograms starting at age 40, repeated every two years through 74. For cervical cancer, screening is recommended for women ages 21 to 65 using Pap and HPV testing at set intervals. For lung cancer, yearly low-dose CT screening is recommended for adults 50 to 80 with a significant smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years. We personalize timing for those at higher risk.

How we make it easy

We track which screenings you are due for, explain your options in plain terms, and coordinate the testing, including referrals for mammography, colonoscopy, or imaging. We can review your screening needs and results by telehealth, with in-person visits and referrals arranged as needed.

Culturally grounded care

We care for the whole person, in the spirit of lōkahi — balance and harmony among the connected parts of life: the body, the mind and emotions, the spirit, the ʻohana (family), and our relationship with the ʻāina (land) and community. In a Native Hawaiian understanding of health, these are not separate, and neither is our care. To mālama (care for and protect) your wellbeing and to live pono (in balance and rightness), we listen to your whole story, welcome your ʻohana into the process, and honor the values and traditions that ground you. Offering kōkua (help given freely, with aloha) in a way that respects who you are is at the heart of how we practice.

Insurance and how we see you

We accept Medicare and Medicaid, including the Hawaiʻi QUEST Integration plans (AlohaCare, the Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association (HMSA), ʻOhana Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan), along with most commercial insurance, and we are accepting new patients in Hilo. Primary care works best as a partnership. Your first visit is in person at our Hilo clinic. We see patients in person for physical exams, vitals, and lab work, and we use telehealth for follow-up visits, medication management, and chronic-disease check-ins whenever it is clinically appropriate.

Common questions about cancer screenings

When should I start cancer screening?

It varies by cancer: colorectal screening generally starts at 45, breast cancer mammograms at 40, cervical cancer screening at 21, and lung cancer screening at 50 for those with a significant smoking history. We personalize the timing based on your risk.

How often do I need each screening?

Intervals differ by test and your risk. For example, mammograms are generally every two years and colorectal options range from yearly stool tests to colonoscopy every ten years. We will map out a schedule that fits you.

Can you coordinate my screenings by telehealth?

Yes. We can review what you are due for and your results by video, and arrange in-person testing and referrals such as mammography or colonoscopy.

What insurance do you accept?

We accept Medicare and Medicaid, including the Hawaii QUEST Integration plans (AlohaCare, HMSA, Ohana Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan), along with most commercial insurance. We are accepting new patients in Hilo.

References

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2024). Breast cancer: Screening. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/breast-cancer-screening

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (n.d.). Cervical cancer: Screening. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/cervical-cancer-screening

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (n.d.). A and B recommendations. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation-topics/uspstf-a-and-b-recommendations

Papa Ola Lōkahi. (n.d.). Native Hawaiian health. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://www.papaolalokahi.org/

This page is general health education from Ohana Care Clinic, written by George Mackel, MSN, APRN, NP-C, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP. It is not a substitute for a personal evaluation by a qualified clinician who knows your situation, and reading it does not create a provider–patient relationship. If you think you may have a medical condition, reach out to us or another licensed provider. In an emergency, call 911.

George Mackel, MSN, APRN, NP-C, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP — President & Owner