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Senate committee hears bill to require insurers to cover lung cancer screening; amendment ties coverage to professional guidelines
Summary
Lawmakers heard testimony supporting Senate Bill 387, which would expand coverage for lung cancer screening; a conceptual amendment would align coverage with guidance from the American Cancer Society and similar professional bodies and omit immediate Medicaid changes.
Senate Bill 387, a measure to expand access to lung cancer screening, was presented Friday to the Nevada Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor by Sen. Roberta Lang (D-Las Vegas).
Lang said the bill aims to improve prevention and early detection of lung cancer by requiring health insurers to cover screening “similar to prostate or colon cancer screenings we have already required in our statutes.” She noted that Medicare already covers annual screening for qualified high‑risk individuals.
The committee also heard medical testimony. “I do strongly support SB387 as it has a potential to save lives by increasing access to lung cancer screening,” said Dr. Vishisht Mehta, director of interventional pulmonology at the Lung Center of Nevada. “Low dose CT screening…has been proven to reduce lung cancer mortality by up to 20 percent in high risk populations.”
A conceptual amendment summarized by the sponsor substantially narrows the bill’s original direction. The amendment would require commercial insurers to provide coverage for lung cancer screening and treatment in accordance with guidance from the American Cancer Society or “other guidelines or reports concerning lung cancer screenings from additional recognized professional organizations, which include current or prevailing supporting scientific data.” The amendment removes new requirements that would have explicitly applied to Medicaid and certain public insurers and deletes a proposed annual gubernatorial proclamation for lung cancer awareness day.
The Division of Insurance testified neutral, noting the conceptual amendment likely does not trigger federal defrayal but flagged uncertainty from ongoing litigation over whether U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations must be incorporated as preventive services under the Affordable Care Act. “If the Supreme Court upholds Judge O’Connor’s finding, then all recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force will not be allowed to be incorporated as preventive services under the Affordable Care Act, which could potentially subject the state to defrayal,” Adam Plain of the Division said.
Supporters included the Nevada State Medical Association, oncology and radiology specialists, the Nevada Cancer Coalition, and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, who said cost is a key barrier and coverage could increase screening rates. Testimony from the Nevada Cancer Coalition noted Nevada’s screening rates are among the lowest in the country and argued parity with other cancer‑screening statutes could improve outcomes.
No committee vote on the bill was recorded during the hearing. The sponsor said staff and stakeholders will continue to refine the amendment and answer technical questions about implementation.
SB387 would not change Nevada’s standard for what constitutes medically necessary care; the amendment instead ties insurer obligations to professional guidance, and the committee heard requests for clarity on which external guidelines would govern age and eligibility criteria.
