The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a shift in its eligibility criteria for coverage of lung cancer screening using low-dose CT (LDCT), thus joining other payers in adopting recommendations made by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In addition, CMS made other modifications to its eligibility criteria that will increase the ability of more people to obtain access to screening, effective February 10, 2022 with the posting of its Decision Memo.
Categories: low dose CT, radiology, lung cancer screening
While The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is considering expansion of coverage for lung cancer screening, a new study shows the effectiveness of early detection in the reduction of lung cancer deaths. Dr. Raja Flores and his colleagues concluded that between 2006 and 2016, lung cancer deaths decreased by about 4% each year. “This decline has been driven by many factors, including smoking cessation, medical therapies, CT screening, and earlier therapeutic interventions,” they reported, and in the conclusion they state that, “our analysis suggests that decreased mortality is also associated with a diagnostic shift from later to earlier stage lung cancer.”
Categories: low dose CT, radiology, lung cancer screening
Based on revised recommendations from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is considering an adjustment to its reimbursement policy for LDCT Lung Cancer Screening. CMS expects to complete its decision-making process before February 2022. In the meantime, many commercial payers have already expanded coverage by adopting the new recommendations.
Categories: radiology reimbursement, cms, radiology, lung cancer screening
