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Senate Health Reform Bill preserves
essential Diagnostic Services for
Osteoporosis
Newswise — Passage of health care reform
legislation in the U.S. Senate will help
provide older Americans with easier access
to quality osteoporosis diagnosis,
prevention and treatment services.
Included in the Senate health reform bill is
a provision restoring Medicare reimbursement
for dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA),
the leading diagnostic tool for the early
detection and management of osteoporosis.
Recent Medicare cuts for DXA tests
jeopardized patient access to this important
preventive healthcare service.
Without congressional action, many doctors
would be forced to discontinue providing DXA
services in their offices as reimbursement
is now substantially lower than the cost of
performing the test.
In 2002, the United States Preventive
Services Task Force recommended that all
women aged 65 and older be screened for
osteoporosis with a DXA study.
The inclusion of DXA in the bill is a
perfect example of a renewed focus on
prevention; several studies have shown that
increased DXA testing and treatment result
in a dramatic decrease in fractures and
related health care costs.
A coalition of patient and physician
organizations have been working for more
than three years toward a legislative and
regulatory solution to the Medicare payment
cuts for DXA services performed in
physicians’ offices.
According to the coalition, passage of this
legislation brings the country one step
closer to ensuring that patients will be
able to continue to receive this vital
diagnostic test.
The coalition stresses that having access to
DXA services in a doctor’s office close to
home is especially critical to those living
in rural and underserved areas.
The approved provision was originally
drafted by Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
and included in the Senate Finance Committee
health reform bill. It was later
incorporated into the Senate health reform
package.
Specifically, the provision sets Medicare
payments for DXA services performed in a
physician’s office at 70 percent of the 2006
level for two years while the Institute of
Medicine completes a study on the impact of
the payment cuts on patient access.
Coalition members initiated discussions with
Senator Lincoln’s office in January of 2009
to highlight the importance of maintaining
patient access to DXA services, particularly
in rural areas such as Arkansas.
A concerted effort by the coalition resulted
in bipartisan support for the DXA
reimbursement bill from members of Congress.
The coalition is pleased that Congress is
taking steps to increase bone health
awareness and prevent fractures.
With passage of this legislation, patients
will continue to have access to optimal
osteoporosis care as both primary and
specialty healthcare providers will continue
to have first-hand access to DXA testing
thereby allowing them to determine the most
effective treatment and prevention options.
The coalition of patient and physician
groups includes: American Association of
Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE); American
College of Rheumatology (ACR); The Endocrine
Society (TES); and International Society for
Clinical Densitometry (ISCD).
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