Medicare poised to cover CT scans to screen for lung cancer

The evidence has been piling up that properly done CT scans can help doctors find tiny lung tumors in longtime smokers while the cancer can still be treated effectively. Now Medicare is proposing to pay for annual scans for beneficiaries at a high risk for lung cancer. To qualify, patients would have to first meet with a doctor to talk through the pros and cons of scans, which involve a low-dose of radiation. Patients would have to be: • Between the ages 55 and 74; • Have no symptoms of lung disease; • Have smoked the equivalent of 30 pack-years (or a pack a day for 30 years); • And be a current smoker or have given it up in the past 15 years.