Lung Cancer Screening (CPB 0380, reviewed 2026-05-28)
Aetna covers annual low-dose CT (LDCT) lung cancer screening, CPT 71271, for current or former smokers ages 50 to 80 with a 20 pack-year or more smoking history, and former smokers must have quit within the past 15 years. Annual LDCT is also covered for surveillance of non-small cell lung cancer, starting 2 years after definitive treatment, using CPT 71250. Artificial intelligence-based imaging, computer-aided detection for chest radiographs, PET for lung cancer screening, and LDCT screening for other indications such as asbestos-exposed individuals are considered experimental, investigational or unproven.