The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) updated its recommendation for lung cancer screening in March, expanding the current guidelines to include individuals ages 50 to 80 years who have a 20 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. This recommendation will nearly double the number of individuals eligible for screening and has the potential to save significantly more lives than the previous guidelines.

As part of their State Lung Cancer Screening Coverage Project, the American Lung Association (ALA) is working to educate stakeholders about the revised USPSTF recommendation and share information about updating insurance coverage policies to align with the new recommendation as soon as possible.

PCC has signed on to an open letter from the ALA in support of the updated USPSTF recommendation for lung cancer screening. We join other organizations in broad support for improving access to this lifesaving screening.

The PCC is connected to this initiative through its membership in the National Lung Cancer Roundtable, founded by the American Cancer Society, which is a PCC Executive Member.

The Biden-Harris administration has appointed several officials to health policy positions that may impact primary care. These include Xavier Becerra, who was confirmed as the first Latino Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Rachel Levine, who was confirmed as Assistant Secretary for Health in HHS and is the first openly transgender federal official confirmed by the Senate. Vivek Murthy, the former Surgeon General under Barack Obama, was re-confirmed to fill the role again. Read PCC’s letter of support for him that asserts he brings experience, vision and evidence-based sensibility to help the country through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Elizabeth Fowler, most recently of the Commonwealth Fund and a former PCC board member, was selected to lead the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). Biden named Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, a former federal policy official now with Manatt Health, as his nominee for CMS Administrator.

On March 15, CMS announced that it was increasing the Medicare payment for administering COVID-19 vaccines to an average of $40 per dose, up from the previous averages of $28.39 for single-dose vaccines; and $16.94 (1st dose), then $28.39 (2nd dose) for two-dose vaccines. (The exact payment rate depends on the type of entity furnishing the service and geographic adjustments.) And the American Rescue Plan mandated that the federal government now fully cover COVID-19 shots for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries. Patients continue to receive COVID-19 vaccines for free—regardless of health coverage type/status—with no applicable copayment, coinsurance or deductible.

Congress has introduced several bills impacting primary care since the start of the year. These include:

• the Veterans Access to Direct Primary Care (H.R. 1520), introduced by Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas-21), Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.-11), Ted Budd (R-N.C.-13), John Curtis (R-Utah-3), and Pete Sessions (R-Texas-17), that would pilot a program providing health savings accounts to veterans, allowing them to receive care through direct primary care arrangements outside of the Veterans Administration
• the TREAT Act, introduced by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Reps. Bob Latta (R-Ohio-5) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.-12), provides temporary state licensing reciprocity for all licensed/certified professionals to deliver in-person and telehealth care during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
• H.R. 1025, Reps. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.-8), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.-14), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.-1), would reapply the Medicare payment rate floor to primary care services provided under Medicaid.