Forty-four senators have asked the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to expand coverage for an early lung-cancer screening test under Medicare. The effort is being led by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.). "[W]hen cancer is caught early patients have the best chance of survival," said the lawmakers in a letter dated Wednesday to CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. They called on the CMS to speed up approval for low-dose CT scans to be covered by Medicare. "Fortunately, low-dose CT scans have been found to be an effective tool in catching lung cancer early," said the letter.
