Medicare announces new lung-cancer screening benefit

Medicare will cover annual lung-cancer screening with Low Dose Computed Tomography for Medicare beneficiaries who meet certain criteria, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced yesterday. The coverage is effective immediately for beneficiaries aged 55 to 77 who are current smokers or have quit smoking within the last 15 years; have a tobacco smoking history averaging one pack a day for 30 years; and receive a written order from a physician or qualified non-physician practitioner that meets certain requirements. The coverage includes a visit for counseling and shared decision-making on the benefits and risks of lung cancer screening. The national coverage decision also includes required data collection and specific coverage eligibility criteria for radiologists and radiology imaging centers, consistent with the National Lung Screening Trial protocol, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation and evidence-based guidelines.