# Understanding the Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Act of 2025

This bill gives Medicare the power to cover new types of lung cancer screening tests beyond what's currently available. Right now, Medicare covers one specific lung cancer screening method (low-dose CT scans for certain high-risk patients). This bill would allow Medicare to add other screening tests to that list if they're approved by the FDA and the government determines they're effective at catching lung cancer early. Think of it like expanding a menu of options—instead of just one approved test, doctors and patients could potentially access newer or different screening methods that have been proven safe and useful.

The bill is designed to help catch lung cancer earlier, when it's often easier to treat. It applies to Medicare beneficiaries—primarily people 65 and older—who meet the criteria the government sets for needing lung cancer screening. The Secretary of Health and Human Services gets to decide which new tests qualify, how often people can get them, and how much Medicare will pay for them. They'll make these decisions using the standard process Medicare uses for evaluating new preventive services, though with a slightly streamlined approach that doesn't require one specific type of additional review.

For most people, this bill won't immediately change anything. But for Medicare patients at high risk for lung cancer—such as current or former smokers—it could mean access to newer screening technologies in the coming years if the government approves them. The bill takes effect immediately once it becomes law, though the actual new screening tests won't be covered until Medicare goes through its evaluation process and makes specific decisions about which ones to add.

Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Act of 2025

Buchanan, Vern

Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Act of 2025This bill authorizes Medicare coverage of additional types of lung cancer screening tests that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, regardless of whether they are recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force. The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services must set coverage and payment limits for such tests. (Currently, Medicare covers screening tests for the early detection of lung cancer if they are recommended by the task force.)