Kansas
Fee-For-Service Medicaid Coverage of Screening
Covered
Highlighted Disparity
Data by race/ethnicity are not available for Kansas.
Lung Cancer Rates
New Cases:
- The rate of new lung cancer cases is 54.6 and not significantly different than the national rate of 54.6.
- Kansas ranks 19th among all states, placing it in the average tier.
- Over the last five years, the rate of new cases improved by 9%.
5-Year Survival Rate:
- The percent of people still alive five years after being diagnosed with lung cancer (the survival rate) is 26.6% nationally.
- Kansas is one of the 9 states for which survival data is not available as they do not track cases after diagnosis.
Early Diagnosis:
- The early diagnosis rate is not available for Kansas due to data limitations.
Lung Cancer Treatment
Surgical Treatment:
- Nationally, 20.8% of cases undergo surgery as part of the first course of treatment.
- Data on surgery as part of the first course of treatment is not available for Kansas.
Lack of Treatment:
- Nationally, 20.6% of cases receive no treatment.
- Data on lack of treatment is not available for Kansas.
Screening
Screening for High Risk:
- In Kansas, 7.0% of those at high risk were screened, which was significantly higher than the national rate of 4.5%.
- It ranks 14th among all states, placing it in the above average tier.
- Actual screening rates may be higher in states with large, regional managed care providers that did not share screening data.
Medicaid Coverage:
- Kansas was one of the 49 states whose Medicaid fee-for-service programs covered lung cancer screening as of October 2023.
- In addition, their program used recommended guidelines for determining eligibility and did not require prior authorization or copays.
Prevention
Tobacco Use:
- The smoking rate in Kansas is 15.6% and significantly higher than the national rate of 13.5%.
- It ranks 36th among all states, placing it in the below average tier.
Radon:
- In Kansas, 34.5% of radon tests results were at or above the action level recommended by EPA.
- It ranks 35th among all states, placing it in the below average tier.
Racial & Ethnic Disparities
Black individuals:
- The rate of new lung cancer cases is not available by race and ethnicity in Kansas due to state restrictions on data sharing.
- Survival rates by race and ethnicity are not available for Kansas at this time. Nationally, the five-year survival rate among Black individuals is 23.8%, 11% lower than among white Americans.
- Lung cancer rates are not available for Black individuals in Kansas due to state restrictions on data sharing.
Latino individuals:
- Lung cancer rates are not available for Latino individuals in Kansas due to state restrictions on data sharing.
Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders:
- Lung cancer rates are not available for Asian or Pacific Islander individuals in Kansas due to state restrictions on data sharing.
Indigenous Peoples:
- Lung cancer rates are not available for Indigenous Peoples (American Indians/Alaska Natives) in Kansas due to state restrictions on data sharing.
Summary
Early diagnosis data is not available for Kansas. When this rate increases, we can anticipate that the surgery rate would increase, as surgery is often the recommended treatment for those diagnosed at an earlier stage. In addition, when cases are found earlier, we would expect the five-year survival rate to increase.
The Lung Association encourages all states to cover lung cancer screening based on the latest guidelines across all fee-for-service and managed care plans without any financial or administrative barriers in their Medicaid programs.