On November 17, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed update to its low-dose CT lung cancer screening guideline, declaring that the evidence is sufficient to expand the eligibility criteria by lowering the age to 50 from 55 years of age (currently 55-77 years of age) and from 30 pack years to 20. These added patients would likely be more involved with their healthcare and it would not be surprising to see the eligible patient number double quickly.
The beneficiary eligibility criteria would also include:
- Asymptomatic (no signs or symptoms of lung cancer);
- Tobacco smoking history of at least 20 pack-years (one pack-year = smoking one pack per day for one year; 1 pack = 20 cigarettes);
- Current smoker or one who has quit smoking within the last 15 years; and
- Receive an order for lung cancer screening with LDCT.
This proposed change brings the Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement in line with the recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and it is estimated an additional 30,000-60,000 lives can be saved each year in the United States, more lives than any screening test in history.
With the population of those eligible for lung cancer screening nearly doubling, healthcare organizations have the opportunity to increase screening volumes and revenue. However, they must be prepared with a highly-effective, automated technology solution to power their lung cancer screening program.
Thynk Health is prepared to provide your program with efficient, automated program management, offering powerful analytics and growth opportunities. Most facilities are screening less than 10 percent of eligible patients in their area. Let us help you screen more, scale bigger, and provide more efficient tools to your team empowering them to provide the best possible care to the communities you serve.
Working together, we can save lives.
