Florida Congresswomen introduced bipartisan legislation to increase access to lung cancer screenings.
U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, both Florida Democrats, joined Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick to reintroduce the bipartisan Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act, a bill that will help lower health care costs for families while expanding access to lifesaving cancer screenings and reducing barriers to preventive care in communities that have been overlooked.
The Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening would:
- Prohibit prior authorization in Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, ending delays and insurance hurdles that keep eligible patients from getting screened when they need it.
- Require Medicaid to fully cover annual lung cancer screenings for all eligible beneficiaries, with no co-pays or out-of-pocket costs.
- Expand coverage of tobacco cessation services and medications to all eligible Medicaid beneficiaries, helping people quit smoking and reducing long-term health risks and costs.
- Create an education and outreach campaign to inform individuals and health care providers about the importance of lung cancer screenings for eligible individuals.
“In the United States, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, largely because too many cases are caught too late. Only 18% of eligible individuals are screened annually across the country, exposing how much work remains to save lives through early detection,” said Tampa Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor. “By making lung cancer screenings easier to access and eliminating surprise bills and insurance red tape, this bipartisan bill will help neighbors catch cancer earlier, stay healthier and live longer. Together, with my bipartisan colleagues and with the help of premier cancer research institutions like Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, we can save tens of thousands of lives every year by expanding access to lung cancer screenings.”
“The fight against lung cancer is very personal to me. I lost my mother and my grandmothers to the disease,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a South Florida Democrat. “But with real advancements in treatment and increased accessibility to annual screening, we can make this disease less deadly, more treatable, and less expensive to treat. I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation to remove barriers to lung cancer screenings as early detection is one of the best tools we have to beat this deadly disease.”
Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the nation, but early detection saves lives and reduces long-term health care costs. The Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act tackles the affordability crisis head-on by removing financial barriers and red tape that too often delay care.
This bipartisan legislation ensures families are not forced to choose between their health and their wallets, and strengthens early detection and prevention efforts in communities that have been overlooked for far too long.
“Families lose loved ones to lung cancer every day because the disease is often found too late,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. “We know early screening saves lives; we also know too many Americans can’t get screened when they need to. The Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act changes that by removing prior authorization hurdles, ensuring no-cost annual screenings under Medicaid, expanding cessation support, and reaching high-risk communities before it’s too late. As Co-Chair of the House Cancer Caucus, I’ll continue driving bipartisan, evidence-based reforms that ensure every patient has a real chance at early detection and a fighting chance at survival.”
The Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act is endorsed by ALK Positive, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Radiology, American Lung Association, American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative (ALCSI), Association of American Cancer Institutes, Braf Bombers, Caring Ambassadors Program, Citizens for Radioactive Radon Reduction, EGFR Resisters, Free ME from Lung Cancer, GO2 for Lung Cancer, LiveLung, Lung Cancer Action Network (LungCAN), Lung Cancer Circle of Hope, Lung Cancer Foundation of America, Lung Cancer Initiative, Lung Cancer Research Foundation, LUNGevity Foundation, Mae’s Breath Foundation, Moffitt Cancer Center, Mountain Foundation For Education & Research in Lung Cancer, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Rexanna’s Foundation, Small Cell Lung Cancer Advocacy, Streak For A Cure, Inc.
Full text of the bill is available online.
