Lung Cancer Screening Program

Lung cancer screening is a non-invasive process used to detect the presence of lung cancer in people who do not have any symptoms. The process is completed by using a low-dose computerized tomography (LDCT) scan of the lungs to look for abnormalities in the lungs that could be cancer.

You may be eligible for lung cancer screening if you:

• Are 50 to 80 years old*
• Are a current cigarette smoker or have quit smoking within the last 15 years
• Have a smoking history of at least 20 pack-years. (Pack-years is the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day multiplied by the number of years smoked)
• Have no symptoms that could be related to lung cancer
• Have not had a chest CT in the last 12 months

*Most insurance providers cover the cost of annual screenings. Their age requirements may differ. Please check with your specific provider for coverage.

Lung cancer screening is recommended once a year for as long as you continue to meet the eligibility criteria.

Most insurance companies are required to cover lung cancer screening under the Affordable Care Act without cost sharing for eligible patients.

The CPT Code billed to insurance for a LDCT is 71271. You can provide this code to your insurance company to verify coverage for screening.

If you are notified that a prior authorization is needed, the ordering office is responsible for obtaining this for you.

We ask that you arrive to your appointment 15 minutes early to allow time for check in. The scan takes less than 5 minutes from laying on the table to completing the image, but the scan itself is under 1 minute.

• You may eat and drink as normal prior to scan, as this scan is completed without contrast
• You may be asked some questions in regards to your smoking history
• Avoid wearing any metal - all neck jewelry will need to be removed
• You may be asked to change into a gown