Medicare Reimbursement for Lung Cancer Screening Provokes Debate

Although 160,000 people in the U.S. die each year from lung cancer, accounting for more than a quarter of all cancer deaths, screening for lung cancer remains controversial. Based on results from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) in 2011, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a B recommendation in favor of low-dose CT screening for high-risk current and former smokers. Due to a provision in the Affordable Care Act, private insurance is now mandated. More recently, the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC) concluded that there is only low to intermediate confidence that “there is adequate evidence to determine if the benefits outweigh the harms.” The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is expected to issue a final decision on national coverage in 2015.

Click here to read the full post on Forbes.

 

Comments

  1. Did you know that Lung Cancer kills more people than colon, breast and prostate cancer combined? With such an high occurrence rate lung cancer has reached to the level of epidemic. Insurance companies and government is suppose to work together for the ease of lots of people towards the diagnosis of the disease which is often confused by tuberculosis.

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