Marci Allison
[email protected]
(202) 821-6884
WASHINGTON, DC (November 20, 2025) – LUNGevity Foundation, the nation’s leading lung cancer-focused nonprofit organization, applauds Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25) for introducing the Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act. This bipartisan bill would ensure that lung cancer screening is covered without cost sharing and without prior authorization requirements across all types of insurance for those currently recommended for screening. The bill would also expand eligibility for tobacco cessation services in Medicaid; establish a nationwide public awareness campaign on the importance of lung cancer screening; and authorize a study and report to Congress on the demographics of people diagnosed with lung cancer but not included in current screening guidelines.
“Early detection of lung cancer is critical for saving lives, and we need to do everything possible to eliminate barriers to screening,” said Andrea Ferris, President and CEO of LUNGevity Foundation. “We are grateful to Representatives Castor, Fitzpatrick, and Wasserman Schultz for their leadership on this legislation, which would improve awareness of and access to lung cancer screening.”
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 227,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2025, while more than 124,000 will die of the disease. For many lung cancer patients, early detection can mean better treatment options and a better prognosis, with 65% surviving five or more years when caught early. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for individuals aged 50-80 with a 20 pack-year smoking history and who currently smoke or quit smoking in the last 15 years.
LUNGevity is committed to increasing awareness of and access to lung cancer screening through educational campaigns, screening programs, and policy interventions. We look forward to working with our congressional champions, grassroots advocates, and partner organizations to advance this legislation.
About LUNGevity Foundation
LUNGevity, the nation’s leading lung cancer organization, is transforming what it means to be diagnosed and live with lung cancer. LUNGevity seeks to make an immediate impact on quality of life and survivorship for everyone touched by the disease—while promoting health equity by addressing disparities throughout the care continuum.
- Through research, we use an innovative and holistic approach to finding lung cancer earlier when it is most treatable; advance research into new treatments so people may live longer and better; and ensure a diverse, vital pipeline of investigators for the future of the lung cancer field.
- Through advocacy, we foster groundbreaking collaborations to ensure all people have access to screening, biomarker testing, and treatment breakthroughs.
- Through community, we educate, support, and connect people affected by lung cancer so that they can get the best healthcare and live longer and better lives.
Comprehensive resources include a medically vetted and patient-centric website, Patient Gateways for specific types of lung cancer, a toll-free HELPLine for personalized support, international survivor conferences, and tools to find a clinical trial. All these programs are designed to help us achieve our vision—a world where no one dies of lung cancer. LUNGevity Foundation is proud to be a four-star Charity Navigator organization.
Please visit www.LUNGevity.org to learn more.
About Lung Cancer in the US
- About 1 in 18 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime.
- More than 226,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year, with a new diagnosis every 2.3 minutes.
- It is estimated that close to 65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people with no tobacco exposure or only past tobacco exposure.
- More lives are lost to lung cancer than to the next two deadliest cancers (colorectal and pancreatic) combined.
- Only 28% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive 5 years or more, but if it’s caught before it spreads, the chance of 5-year survival improves to 65%.