Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R) representing Indiana’s 8th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives joined Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16), Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06), and Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA-45) in introducing the Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Act (H.R. 6693) to help ensure timely access to advanced screenings for lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the second most common type of cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S., accounting for nearly one out of every five cancer deaths. Tragically, more than 80 percent of people with lung cancer die within five years of diagnosis, and more than half within the first year.

Under current law, lung cancer screening tests must be approved by both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an unelected board of 16 volunteers which adds layers of unnecessary bureaucratic red tape before the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) may even consider them for coverage. Unfortunately, the current USPSTF review process is also highly cumbersome and can take up to five years, preventing new and potentially life-saving screenings from expeditiously coming to the market.

To help expedite the approval process, the Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Act gives CMS the flexibility to cover new tests already approved by the FDA without having to wait for the United States Preventive Services Task Force to evaluate the tests.

Currently, only five percent of those who are recommended for testing, actually get screened for lung cancer.