VNS Health Total: Screening for Lung Cancer with Low-Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT)
Screening for qualified members. The effects of smoking or exposure to environmental pollutants or workplace toxins may show up many years later.
How To Receive
Details on how to apply
Obtain an in-network provider order for an LDCT during a lung cancer screening counseling and shared-decision-making visit (cannot be scheduled within another visit, it must be a visit specific to lung cancer screening).
Schedule the procedure at a network facility selected by the provider.
It is likely that the scheduling department of that facility will reach out to schedule the LDCT.
Attend the appointment and complete the procedure.
Engage in recommended follow-up treatment and/or referrals.
If transportation is needed to and from the appointment:
Call (877) 718-4219 (TTY: 711), M-F 8am-8pm, at least 48 hours in advance of the needed transportation.
Have the date, time, location, and reason for transportation ready when calling.
Receive authorization and guidance on scheduling the transportation service.
Get confirmation of scheduled transportation.
Use the transportation service to and from the appointment.
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Lung cancer screening is essential for current and past smokers—especially those who still smoke, but including those who have stopped smoking, even if they stopped many years ago. A long history of smoking still puts them at risk of developing lung cancer.
If you or your loved one meet all of the following conditions, you are eligible to receive lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT).
Aged 50–77
No signs or symptoms of lung cancer
Have a smoking history of a least 20 pack-years (an average of one pack or 20 cigarettes per day for 20 years)
Currently smoke or who have quit smoking within the last 15 years
Have an order from their provider
LDCT has been proven to reduce the number of deaths from lung cancer in patients at high risk. LDCT is a CT scan that can produce images of high enough quality to detect lung cancer while using up to 90% less ionizing radiation than a conventional CT scan of the chest.
Before the first screening, you or your loved one must schedule an appointment with a provider to discuss the benefits and risks of lung cancer screenings. The initial LDCT order must be made during a lung cancer screening counseling and shared decision-making visit (i.e., it cannot be during just any visit, it must be a visit for this specific purpose).
For LDCT screenings after the initial screening, a written order for LDCT by a provider is required, which may be furnished during any appropriate visit.
