ARLINGTON, VA, (MAY 29, 2019) — In the United States, half of all women and 20 percent of men age 50 and older will break a bone due to osteoporosis in their lifetime and many will die or be forced into nursing homes as a result. In fact, bone fractures related to osteoporosis are responsible… Read more »
Our latest efforts
National Bone Health Policy Institute Responds to Proposed Rules »
NOF on behalf of the NBHPI has submitted comments to CMS and HHS regarding proposed rules that could impact osteoporosis patients access to testing and treatment. Comment letters have been submitted for the following: December 31, 2019 – Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: International Price Index Model for Medicare Part B Drugs CMS-5528-ANPRM January 25,… Read more »
NOF Statement on Medicare Part B »
Washington, DC (October 25, 2018) – The National Osteoporosis Foundation issued the following statement regarding announced changes the Medicare Part B program: “Medicare Part B is vital to patients living with and managing chronic illnesses, like osteoporosis. Key to treatment under the program is the ability for doctors and patients to tailor care to the… Read more »
DXA Testing by the Numbers »
Osteoporosis is under-diagnosed in the Medicare population according to a recent CDC NHANES survey. DXA scans are the gold standard for osteoporosis diagnosis, yet in 2007, CMS began significantly reducing reimbursement for DXA scans. This reduced the number of physicians in private offices offering DXA. As a result, fewer women and men were scanned resulting… Read more »
NOF Statement On Medicare Open Enrollment »
Patient Group Urges Fix To DXA Screening Reimbursement Rates To Encourage More Osteoporosis Screenings Today, as Medicare Open Enrollment starts, the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) urged policymakers to raise the reimbursement rates for x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) screenings, which are the gold standard for osteoporosis screenings. Currently, bipartisan bills are sitting in both Chambers that would… Read more »
NOF Statement on Medicare Part D Cliff »
Washington, DC – The National Osteoporosis Foundation issued the following statement regarding the impending out-of-pocket cliff threatening the Medicare Part D program: “A looming threat to the Medicare Part D program is set to take effect in 2020 unless Congress takes action. The Part D cliff will significantly increase the catastrophic threshold – the amount… Read more »
NOF is Advocating for Increased Medicare Reimbursement for DXA Scans »
Fractures related to osteoporosis threaten the health and independence of older Americans. And fractures are common: more than 2 million fractures happen each year due to osteoporosis. The statistics are staggering and unnecessary. A DXA (Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) bone density test is a non-invasive, simple, yet top quality test for screening and diagnosing patients that… Read more »
NOF Statement on Medicare Part D »
Washington, DC – The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) sent the following statement to Members of Congress on the importance of protecting Medicare Part D: NOF is concerned that recent changes to the Medicare Part D program in the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2018 opens the door to other potentially harmful changes that could disrupt… Read more »
NOF Support for Issues of Importance to Osteoporosis Patients »
NOF has been working hard on supporting issues of importance to osteoporosis patients by signing onto advocacy letters. Below you will be able to view and download letters we have signed onto: DXA Coalition Support Letter Medicare Community Statement LIS Co-Pay Letter SNAP Vitamin and Mineral Letter MassHealth Section 1115 Demonstration Amendment Request Medicare Access… Read more »
NOF Supporting the LIS Program »
NOF has joined with other leading patient advocacy organizations on the national and state level to support the LIS program within Medicare Part D. NOF has signed on to the attached letters along with hundreds of other national and state-level organizations. To review them, please click on the letters below: