Strong Voices for Strong Bones®
For over 35 years, the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation (formerly NOF) has been committed to preventing broken bones and osteoporosis through education, advocacy and research. We advocate in support of awareness, research, patients, and professionals. Learn how you can help.
BHOF gives special thanks to Amgen for support of our advocacy efforts.
The Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation together with other members of the Fracture Prevention Coalition have been working on legislation to ensure patient access to osteoporosis care, including the gold standard DXA Test. Click here to see the full list of cosponsors of this bill. We still need additional support! Click here to contact your representative today!
The Fracture Prevention Coalition has been working to address the decline in Medicare reimbursements for DXA and the corresponding decline in DXA testing. S.1943, the Increasing Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2021 will bring DXA testing to more Medicare beneficiaries, reducing the number of unnecessary fractures and deaths in the United States. This legislation will dramatically improve the lives of countless Americans. Click here to see the full list of cosponsors of this bill. We still need additional support! Click here to contact your representative today!
Click here to learn about BHOF’s ongoing work with the Fracture Prevention Coalition to protect DXA testing.
This week, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) introduced the Increasing Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2021 (H.R. 3517) with Reps. Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Michael Burgess M.D. (TX-26), and Jackie Walorski (IN-02) to improve access to osteoporosis screening. Fractures caused by osteoporosis are among the most significant challenges threatening the independence and quality of life for… Read more »
April 2021 is the National Minority Health Month and the National Osteoporosis Foundation believes that providing awareness and education about bone health will help bridge the disparity gap in healthcare. “We must proactively address disparities in healthcare and help raise awareness about bone health for all Americans.” Claire Gill, CEO National Osteoporosis Foundation Three questions… Read more »
Contact: Claire Gill, Interim CEO claire.gill@bonehealthandosteoporosis.org The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), the country’s leading health organization representing 10 million Americans who suffer from osteoporosis, a chronic disease that weakens bone and increases a person’s risk for debilitating and deadly fractures, urges Members of Congress to assure that patients who are covered by Medicare Part B… Read more »
NOF and colleagues in the Fracture Prevention Coalition are supporting legislation – HR 2693 and S283 in Congress. This legislation would help ensure that patients have access to DXA testing by restoring Medicare funding for DXA. We are grateful to the following Members of Congress who have signed on as co-sponsors of this important legislation. Below is a… Read more »
Osteoporosis is under-diagnosed in the Medicare population and the 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 in a decline in osteoporosis… Read more »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 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 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: Â Â
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), which recently led a letter to Congress signed by over 300 health advocacy groups opposing harmful government interference in the Medicare Part D program, today issued the following statement in response to S. 1688: “It is discouraging that, despite direct opposition from over 300 health advocates, members of Congress have… Read more »
Washington, DC (July 26, 2017) – The following statement addresses the recent Democratic Economic Proposal and can be attributed to Amy Porter, Executive Director & CEO of the National Osteoporosis Foundation: “We are deeply concerned that legislators continue to propose harmful changes to the essential Medicare Part D program despite clear evidence that the program… Read more »
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 may… Read more »
Washington, DC (June 13, 2017) – The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), today issued the following statement in response to the Senate HELP hearing “The Cost of Prescription Drugs: How the Drug Delivery System Affects What Patients Pay” “During today’s hearing, several Senators raised the idea of allowing for the government to set prices in the… Read more »
Dear Member of Congress, We, the undersigned organizations, are writing to express opposition to proposals that would allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to interfere in private negotiations in the Medicare Part D program. We are concerned that such proposals could undermine Part D’s competitive structure and restrict access for millions of… Read more »
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) urges Members of Congress to oppose any amendment to repeal the non-interference provision of the Medicare Part D law. Senior citizens and people with disabilities have access to important, needed medications thanks to Medicare Part D. Part D provides this access and affordability for Medicare participants thanks to its competitive,… Read more »