Lung Cancer Screening: Who Should Get Checked and What Medicare Covers
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a good time to learn about a test that many people do not know they may qualify for. A low-dose CT scan can look for lung cancer in people at higher risk, before any symptoms appear. Medicare covers it for those who meet certain rules. Here is what the CDC and Medicare.gov say.
What Is Lung Cancer Screening?
The CDC says the recommended test is a low-dose computed tomography scan, often shortened to LDCT. It takes a few minutes and does not hurt. You lie on a table while a machine takes pictures of your lungs.
The goal is to find lung cancer early, when treatment works best. The CDC says screening people at high risk can reduce deaths from lung cancer.
Screening is not for everyone. It is meant for people at higher risk because of their smoking history. It is not a test for people with symptoms. Anyone with a cough that will not go away, or other worrying changes, should tell their doctor.
Who Should Be Screened?
The CDC, following the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, recommends a yearly scan for adults who meet all three of these:
- They are between 50 and 80 years old.
- They have a smoking history of at least 20 “pack-years.” That means about one pack a day for 20 years, or two packs a day for 10 years.
- They smoke now, or quit within the past 15 years.
The CDC says screening should stop if you turn 81, if you have not smoked for 15 years or more, or if you develop a health problem that would keep you from having surgery if cancer were found.
What Medicare Covers
Medicare.gov says Medicare Part B covers a lung cancer screening once a year if you meet all of these conditions:
- You are between 50 and 77.
- You have no signs or symptoms of lung cancer.
- You currently smoke, or you quit within the last 15 years.
- You have a smoking history of at least 20 pack-years.
- You get an order from your health care provider.
Medicare’s age range ends at 77, while the CDC’s guidance goes to 80. Ask your doctor how that applies to you.
Before your first screening, you will have a visit with your provider to talk about the benefits and risks and decide whether screening is right for you. Medicare.gov says you pay nothing for the screening if your provider accepts assignment. Other costs can depend on your plan, the provider and the facility.
Benefits and Risks
Screening can catch cancer early, but it is not risk-free. The CDC names three downsides to talk over with your doctor:
- False alarms. A scan can show something that turns out not to be cancer, which may lead to more tests or procedures you did not need.
- Overdiagnosis. Screening can find a cancer that would never have caused harm, which can lead to treatment that was not needed.
- Radiation. Repeated scans use small amounts of radiation, which can cause cancer in otherwise healthy people.
How to Get Ready
- Write down your smoking history as best you can: about how many packs a day, for about how many years, and the year you quit if you did.
- Call your doctor’s office and ask whether you may qualify for a lung cancer screening.
- Bring a list of your questions to the visit. Ask about the benefits, the risks, and what would happen if something is found.
- If you smoke, ask about help quitting. The CDC notes it is never too late, and your doctor can point you to free support.
Other screenings matter too. See our guides to colon cancer screening and mammograms.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own health.
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