Screening: Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis affects 10.2 million American women and another 43.4 million are suffering
from low bone density. Hip fractures caused by osteoporosis are the most devastating and
debilitating type of bone break, with an average of 300,000 hip fractures a year.
With accurate, cost-effective diagnostic tools and inexpensive treatments that reduce
fractures, osteoporosis screenings are a simple solution that can greatly improve health
outcomes for many seniors. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) bone density screenings
are a highly predictive, noninvasive test for osteoporosis and are more accurate in predicting fractures than
cholesterol is in predicting heart attacks
or blood pressure is in predicting strokes. DXA
screenings are the gold standard for osteoporosis screening.
Over the last few years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has steadily
decreased the reimbursement rate to providers for DXA screenings, making it harder for
doctors to offer them in their offices. As a result, over 8,000 fewer providers are offering the
service, limiting patient access to this crucial screening.
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1
One in Two Women
One in two women and up to one in four men over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoprosis.
Source
X Source:
https://cdn.nof.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Osteoporosis-Fast-Facts.pdf
2
A Woman’s Risk
A woman’s risk of a hip fracture resulting from osteoporosis is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.
Source
X Source:
https://cdn.nof.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Osteoporosis-Fast-Facts.pdf
3
Medicare
Medicare pays over $16 billion a year in direct costs from to hip fractures. DXA screenings can reduce the risk of hip fractures up to 50%.
Source
5
Osteoporosis Screenings
Osteoporosis screenings are covered in your Welcome to Medicare visit but cuts in Medicare have resulted in 36% fewer clinicians offering them in their offices.
Source
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1 Direct Research LLC, Medicare PSPS Master Files and Medicare 5 Percent Sample LDS SAF, analysis by Peter M. Steven, PhD
2 Direct Research LLC, Medicare PSPS Master Files and Medicare 5 Percent Sample LDS SAF, analysis by Peter M. Steven, PhD