NOF Encourages You to Respond to DXA Patient Survey

Please take a moment to participate in a short survey. NOF needs your help to provide lawmakers with information about better protecting your access to bone density testing.

Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) testing is critical to detecting osteoporosis and preventing debilitating and costly fractures before they occur. These tests help predict a person’s chances of breaking a bone and help monitor their treatment.

Since 2006, reimbursement rates for DXA have been reduced by 50 percent with more cuts planned for 2010. Because physicians say that Medicare reimbursement does not cover the cost of a DXA test and approximately two thirds of these tests are performed outside the hospital, NOF is concerned that patient access to the tests will become more burdensome. Patients may need to travel a greater distance, make more physician visits and pay higher copayments.

Have Medicare reimbursement cuts for DXA made it harder for you to get a bone density test? Please let us know by completing the DXA survey. We also encourage you to share your story with NOF at http://bones.nof.org/DXA.

Transparency statement:
Funding to conduct this survey and tabulate the results was provided to Inspire by Amgen. Neither NOF nor Amgen will see the individual responses to the questions in this survey and participants will not be identified. However, if you wish to receive information about how you can become an NOF Bone Health Advocate, your request will be sent by Inspire to NOF (but not to Amgen) for follow up. Your confidential information will not be released, consistent with the privacy policy for the NOF Osteoporosis Community.

Posted by the Public Policy staff at NOF.