Does Medicare Cover Lung Cancer Screenings?

Is the screening covered, and what does Medicare pay?

Medicare Part B covers an annual lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) as a preventive service. When you meet all the eligibility requirements and your provider accepts Medicare assignment, you pay nothing for the screening itself.

Because it is a preventive screening, the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026) does not apply to it. There is no copay and no coinsurance for the screening when the rules are met. You do still need to be enrolled in Part B and pay your monthly Part B premium ($202.90 in 2026 for most people).

• What it is: a yearly low-dose CT scan that looks for early signs of lung cancer.
• Your cost: $0 for the screening when your provider accepts assignment and you qualify.
• How often: once per year (annual).
• The Part B deductible does not apply to this preventive screening.

Who is eligible for a covered lung cancer screening?

Medicare sets specific rules for who can get the free screening. You must meet every one of the requirements below, not just some of them.

• Age: you are between 50 and 77 years old.
• No symptoms: you have no signs or symptoms of lung cancer (the screening is for people who feel healthy).
• Smoking history: at least a 20 pack-year history. A pack-year means smoking one pack a day for a year, so 1 pack a day for 20 years equals 20 pack-years (and 2 packs a day for 10 years would also be 20).
• Smoking status: you currently smoke, or you quit within the last 15 years.
• Doctor's order: you get a written order from your health care provider.

The required counseling and shared decision-making visit

Before your very first LDCT screening, Medicare requires a counseling and shared decision-making visit with your provider. This visit is meant to help you understand the benefits and risks of screening, the importance of coming back each year, and, if you still smoke, it includes smoking-cessation counseling.

This visit is part of the covered preventive benefit and is provided at no cost to you. Medicare covers the screening only after this visit takes place, so it is a required first step, not an optional one.

What if the screening finds something? Follow-up costs

The $0 cost applies to the preventive screening itself. If the screening finds something that needs a closer look, any follow-up diagnostic tests are billed differently and are not free.

Diagnostic follow-up, such as a diagnostic CT scan or a biopsy, is subject to the regular Part B rules in 2026: you pay the Part B deductible ($283 per year) if you have not already met it, and then 20% coinsurance of the Medicare-approved amount. If lung cancer is found, your treatment is also covered under Medicare's usual rules, with the costs that apply to those services.

• Preventive screening: $0 when you qualify and the provider accepts assignment.
• Diagnostic follow-up (e.g., diagnostic CT, biopsy): Part B deductible $283, then 20% coinsurance.
• If the provider does not accept assignment, you may pay more out of pocket.

Medicare Advantage and screening after age 77

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), it must cover at least the same preventive services as Original Medicare, including the annual lung cancer screening for members who meet the eligibility rules. Costs and the network of providers can differ from Original Medicare, so check your plan's rules and use in-network providers when possible. Confirm the details in your plan's Evidence of Coverage.

Medicare's eligibility for the covered screening ends after age 77. If you are 78 or older, the annual LDCT is no longer a covered preventive screening, though your provider can still discuss your individual situation and any medically necessary diagnostic testing.