Preservation of Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act

The "Preservation of Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act " would roll back Medicare reimbursement cuts for DXA testing . DXA reimbursement cuts may impact access to care by making it harder for those with and at risk for osteoporosis to be tested. Although health reform legislation has temporarily provided a solution to cuts in DXA reimbursement for tests in physician offices a more comprehensive solution is necessary.

One in two women age 50 and older and up to one in four men will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetimes. Breaking a bone often leads to a downward spiral of pain, disability, deformity and loss of independence and quality of life. Osteoporotic fractures account for $19 billion in costs and are projected to increase by 50 percent over the next two decades, reaching $25.3 billion in 2025.

Bone density tests are critical to detecting osteoporosis and preventing debilitating and costly fractures before they occur. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) tests can help predict a person’s chances of fracturing and help monitor and evaluate a patient’s osteoporosis treatment. Since 2006, reimbursement rates for DXA have been reduced by 50 percent, and more cuts are expected in 2012. 

The “Preservation of Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2011” would maintain the current Medicare payment policy for osteoporosis testing through 2013.

Lower reimbursement rates could impact the health of many Americans with or at risk for osteoporosis. Current reimbursement levels do not cover the cost of providing a DXA and many physicians are beginning to reduce or discontinue providing bone density tests. Traveling long distances for a test would be an extreme hardship for those already frail from osteoporosis and low bone density, those living in rural and medically underserved areas, and those with disabilities.

Minimizing fracture risk through early detection and preventive care far outweigh the costs of DXA testing. A 2008 study by Kaiser in Southern California found that increased use of DXA testing and osteoporosis treatment over a five-year period (2002-2006) resulted in a 37 percent reduction in hip fractures and $30.8 million in savings in a single year in 11 Kaiser health centers.

Ask your Members of Congress to protect patient access to osteoporosis testing by cosponsoring s. 1096/H.R. 2020. Click here to send a message.

View the Preservation of Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act Fact Sheet: Download the PDF

View the letters in support of the Preservation of Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act signed by patient, professional, health and community organizations: 

Download the PDF of the House letter

Download the PDF of the Senate letter

View the press release on the introduction of the Preservation of Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act.