The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said it will convene a Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC) meeting on April 30 to review the available evidence on lung cancer screening with CT.
The meeting will be held at CMS' headquarters at 7500 Security Blvd. in Baltimore. On the agenda is a discussion of whether CT lung cancer screening should be covered as a preventive service under Medicare for high-risk individuals with a long history of smoking.
The CMS review follows on the heels of the December 2013 recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) giving CT screening a grade B (recommended) rating for high-risk individuals.
CMS said it is interested in evidence that helps inform the identification of individuals eligible for screening, the appropriate frequency and duration of screening, and facility and provider characteristics that predict benefit or harm. CMS is also looking for input on the influence of such screening factors on patient education and informed consent, especially for elderly and younger disabled populations, and information on the integration of smoking cessation programs into screening.
More information about the meeting, including registration details, is available here.
