Healthcare insurer WellPoint has announced that it will cover low-dose CT screening for lung cancer in heavy smokers.
While some hospital radiology departments offer CT lung screening for such patients, Medicare, Medicaid, and many private payors do not cover the exam, partly because it has not been recommended by entities such as the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), or the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the company said.
WellPoint plans to pay for CT scans for patients with the same characteristics as those in the National Lung Screening Trial, which includes having smoked at least the equivalent of one pack per day for 30 years and being 55 to 74 years old.
