# Medicare NCD 210.14: lung cancer screening with low-dose CT

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/medicare-ncd-210-14/  
OnCo record `medicare-ncd-210-14` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Medicare in the United States pays for a yearly low-dose CT scan of the chest for people aged 50 to 77 with no symptoms who have smoked at least 20 pack-years and still smoke or quit within the last 15 years. A conversation about the benefits and harms comes first, and the patient pays no coinsurance or deductible.

## Summary

United States, Medicare National Coverage Determination 210.14 (NCD Manual, publication 100-3), version 2, effective for claims with dates of service on or after 10 February 2022, implemented 3 October 2022. CMS covers it as an "additional preventive service" under section 1861(ddd) of the Social Security Act, which requires a United States Preventive Services Task Force grade of A or B.

Eligibility, in the NCD's words: "Age 50 - 77 years"; "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 an order for screening. Before the first scan the beneficiary must have a counselling and shared decision-making visit that uses one or more decision aids, covers the importance of yearly adherence, comorbidities and willingness to be treated, and covers smoking cessation or continued abstinence. The reading radiologist must be board certified or board eligible with the American Board of Radiology or an equivalent body, and the facility must use "a standardized lung nodule identification, classification, and reporting system". Part B coinsurance and deductible are waived. The NCD says it was last reviewed in February 2022.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-11-04
- Also known as: NCD 210.14; Medicare lung cancer screening coverage; Lung Cancer Screening with Low Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT)
- Tags: us

## Notes

- The NCD names no specific reporting system; Lung-RADS is linked as the system most US programmes use, not as a requirement stated in the text.

## Sources

- CMS Medicare Coverage Database: the NCD: https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/ncd.aspx?ncdid=364&ncdver=2
- CMS Coverage API: the NCD text as data: https://api.coverage.cms.gov/v1/data/ncd?ncdid=364&ncdver=2

## Connected records

- terms: [Lung-RADS and nodule reporting](https://onco.cc/terms/lung-rads/), [Medicare coverage with evidence development](https://onco.cc/terms/medicare-ced/)
- cancers: [Lung cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/lung-cancer/)
- technologies: [Low-dose CT lung screening](https://onco.cc/technologies/low-dose-ct-screening/)
- institutions: [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)](https://onco.cc/institutions/cms/)

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