llustration by Aisha Franz

“The lung-cancer screening that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is now recommending could add at least $3 billion annually in new costs to the already burdened U.S. health-care system. That should worry the Barack Obama administration and anyone else concerned with the system’s stability.

“On the other hand, the new recommendation, still in draft form, could save 20,000 lives a year. And policy makers could recoup some of the cost by limiting liability for doctors who follow the guidelines in good faith.

“The task force suggests that heavy smokers be given low-dose CT scans once a year. The test costs about $300, so if all 10 million eligible Americans get them, it would add up to that $3 billion. In reality, the bill will probably be higher, because the range of people considered to be at high risk will widen with time. Medicare and private insurers will have no choice but to pay, because the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act mandates that they fully cover all services the task force highly recommends.

“Unfortunately, the costs don’t end there.”

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