# Plain Language Summary: Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act

This bill makes it easier and more affordable for people to get lung cancer screenings by requiring health insurance programs to cover these tests without charging patients any out-of-pocket costs. Right now, many people skip screenings because they have to pay copays or deal with insurance companies requiring approval before the test. The bill targets people who are at higher risk for lung cancer—mainly current and former smokers—based on guidelines from medical experts at the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

The bill affects three types of insurance. For Medicaid (the government program for lower-income people), states must now cover annual lung cancer screenings with zero cost-sharing, meaning no copays or deductibles. For Medicare (the program for seniors and some disabled people), beneficiaries can get screenings without needing prior authorization from their insurance company. For people with private insurance through employers or the individual market, insurance companies can't require prior authorization either. All of these changes take effect January 1, 2024, giving insurance programs time to prepare.

Beyond just screening, the bill expands tobacco cessation help for all Medicaid recipients. Previously, only pregnant women could get free counseling and medications to help them quit smoking through Medicaid. Now anyone on Medicaid can access these services without cost-sharing. This recognizes that helping people quit smoking is one of the best ways to prevent lung cancer in the first place.

Finally, the bill includes $10 million per year for a public education campaign to inform people—especially those at high risk—about why lung cancer screening matters and who should get screened. The government also has to study whether current screening guidelines are missing certain groups, like firefighters, veterans, or younger women, who might develop lung cancer but don't fit the typical profile.

Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act

Higgins, Brian

Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act This bill provides for coverage without prior authorization requirements of annual lung cancer screenings under Medicaid, Medicare, and private health insurance for individuals for whom screenings are recommended under U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines. It also expands Medicaid coverage of counseling and pharmacotherapy for cessation of tobacco use to all individuals, rather than only pregnant women. The Department of Health and Human Services must conduct outreach on the importance of lung cancer screenings and who should be screened, and the Government Accountability Office must report on the demographics of those diagnosed with lung cancer and recommend ways the federal government can improve screenings.