What is OBSP? If your doctor, a friend, or a poster in a clinic waiting room has mentioned “OBSP,” here’s everything it actually means for you — from who qualifies, to how self-referral works, to what actually happens during your appointment and how you’ll hear back about your results. (If you want general mammogram preparation tips that apply beyond OBSP, see our mammography and preparation guide.)

 

What Is OBSP?

 

So, what is OBSP? The Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) is a province-wide program, coordinated through Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), that provides free screening mammograms to eligible Ontarians at designated sites, including Annex Medical Imaging. It’s specifically designed for screening — checking for early signs of breast cancer in people without any current symptoms — rather than investigating a specific existing concern, which falls under diagnostic imaging instead.

 

Who’s eligible

 

• Average risk: Women and other eligible individuals aged 40–74 can self-refer for a screening mammogram every 2 years, with no doctor’s referral required (as of the October 2024 policy change that lowered the starting age from 50 to 40)
• High risk: Ages 30–69 with a strong family history, a known genetic mutation (like BRCA1/2), or previous chest radiation may qualify for annual screening with both mammography and MRI, with a physician referral required
• 75 and older: Screening can continue, but isn’t automatically scheduled the way it is for younger age groups — this becomes a decision to make together with your primary care provider based on overall health and preferences

 

How self-referral actually works

 

If you’re 40 or older and at average risk, you can contact an OBSP site directly, like Annex Medical Imaging, to book your screening mammogram — no requisition needed from your doctor. When you call or visit to book, you’ll be asked a few basic eligibility screening questions covering your age, whether you have any current breast symptoms, your prior screening history, and any personal or family history of breast cancer. This helps determine whether a screening mammogram is the right test for you, or whether you should see your doctor first for a diagnostic workup instead.

 

 

What happens at your appointment, step by step

 

A certified mammography technologist will position each breast between two plates for a brief compression, capturing multiple views from different angles to give the radiologist a complete picture. The compression can feel uncomfortable, and sometimes momentarily painful, for a few seconds, but it’s a necessary part of getting a clear image and shouldn’t cause lasting discomfort. The entire appointment, including check-in and paperwork, typically takes about 20–30 minutes, with the actual imaging portion taking only a few minutes. Our clinic uses digital mammography equipment, which allows for clearer imaging at a lower radiation dose compared to older film-based systems.

 

It’s worth scheduling your mammogram when you’re not expecting your period, if possible, since breast tissue tends to be less tender at other points in your cycle — though this isn’t a strict requirement, and staff can still perform the exam at any time if needed.

 

How results work

 

Unlike our other exams, OBSP has a structured follow-up process built into the program itself: results are mailed directly to you as well as sent to your primary care provider, typically within a few weeks. If anything on your mammogram requires a closer look — which is common and doesn’t necessarily mean cancer is present — OBSP coordinates the follow-up diagnostic imaging for you rather than leaving you to arrange additional appointments and referrals on your own, which meaningfully reduces the administrative burden during an already stressful time.

 

 

Screening mammogram vs. diagnostic mammogram

 

A screening mammogram (through OBSP) is for people without symptoms, taken purely as a preventive check on a regular schedule. A diagnostic mammogram is ordered specifically when there’s a concern — a lump, pain, nipple discharge, skin changes, or a follow-up on an abnormal screening result — and requires a doctor’s referral regardless of your age or how recently you were last screened. Diagnostic mammograms often involve additional views or supplementary imaging like ultrasound at the same visit, since the goal is to answer a specific clinical question rather than simply screen broadly.

 

What if you’re called back after a screening mammogram?

 

Being called back for additional imaging after a screening mammogram is common and doesn’t automatically mean something serious was found — many callbacks are resolved with a simple additional view or ultrasound that shows normal tissue. Still, it’s understandably an anxious wait for many people, and OBSP’s coordinated follow-up process is designed specifically to move you through that process as efficiently as possible.

 

OBSP coordinates the follow-up diagnostic imaging for you rather than leaving you to arrange additional appointments and referrals on your own.

 

 

 

Book your OBSP screening

 

If you’re 40 or older, haven’t been screened in the last two years, and have no current breast symptoms, you can self-refer directly to Annex Medical Imaging for your OBSP mammogram — no appointment-booking hurdles, no referral required.