LUNGevity's Lung Cancer Scorecard grades individual states on policies that support access to optimal care for lung cancer patients.

HOW DOES YOUR STATE RANK?

GET THE REPORT

 

When LUNGevity’s Lung Cancer Scorecard was originally completed in March 2020, 12 states across the US were initially identified to not cover low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) under Medicaid Fee-for-Service (FFS).

As of January 1, 2021, nearly all states that previously did not cover LDCT in their FFS Medicaid programs now cover LDCT. There are two remaining states, Alaska and Hawaii, where screening coverage is still not clear. This means that now, in most states in the US, people with Medicaid who qualify for lung cancer screening will be covered for LDCT.

We are thrilled with this shift in the trajectory. It signals widespread and growing consensus in the medical community of the effectiveness of LDCT for early lung cancer detection in high-risk individuals.

About the Study

Many lung cancer patients have benefited from advancements in precision medicine, yet across the country access to optimal, comprehensive care is inconsistent.

Our study measured access to optimal care, including precision medicine, for lung cancer patients with a state-by-state report card based on five factors:

  1. Coverage for lung cancer screening
  2. Coverage for next-generation sequencing (NGS) testing
  3. Medicaid expansion
  4. Lung cancer incidence
  5. Lung cancer survival

Baseline data: The information we gathered allowed us to establish a baseline from which we can periodically measure improvements (or lack thereof). We will be able to identify pain points/ opportunities in the system that we can address to improve access to precision medicine and optimal care in lung cancer.

Making a commitment to improvement: We measured each state's commitment to improving these outcomes by examining its coverage policy for clinical care, including:

  • coverage for lung cancer screening,
  • access to clinical centers of excellence, and
  • routine costs of clinical trials and personalized approach to lung cancer therapy as evidenced by coverage of molecular testing.

We have graded states on their performance in these areas and identified areas in need of improvement, and we propose solutions that states may adopt.

We will be following up on the report card with specific state-level activities aimed at improving access to care for all people diagnosed with lung cancer.

 

 

 

Questions? Contact Kristen Santiago, Senior Director of Public Policy Initiatives, LUNGevity Foundation (ksantiago@lungevity.org).