May is National Osteoporosis Month in the U.S. and the time is right for all Americans to take a proactive posture to help protect their bones. In the U.S., more than two million broken bones are caused by osteoporosis each year. Studies show that half of all women over the age of 50 and… Read more »
News
Coalition of Bone Health Experts Issues Joint Guidance on Osteoporosis Management in the COVID-19 Era »
Organizations responding to “paucity of data” to provide clear guidance for healthcare professionals treating millions of osteoporosis patients The current COVID-19 global pandemic has necessitated the implementation of social distancing strategies that have the potential to disrupt the medical care of patients with osteoporosis. In response to this disruption, the American Society for Bone… Read more »
Crucial Access To Injected And Infused Medications Needed For Medicare Patients »
The federal government has made huge progress in lowering regulatory barriers in order to accelerate access to health care during the coronavirus crisis, including allowing patients to talk with their doctors by telemedicine visits. But one group of particularly vulnerable patients has been left out: Medicare beneficiaries needing access to infused or injected drugs that… Read more »
May National Osteoporosis Month 2020 Provide a Clear Vision to Achieving Good Bone Health »
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) debuts its 10,000 Steps a Day in May Challenge and launches helpful resources with the goal of raising awareness about building and maintaining strong, healthy bones. This May, NOF will commemorate National Osteoporosis Month with the launch of new resources created to provide an easy-to-follow path for Americans to learn… Read more »
Interdisciplinary Symposium on Osteoporosis (ISO) Cancelled »
Dear Attendees, We hope that you, your family and colleagues are safe and healthy during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. All staff at the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) are working from home, but fully able to continue to serve our patient and healthcare professional communities. After careful consideration, we have decided to cancel the Interdisciplinary… Read more »
NOF Statement on Access to Osteoporosis Medications Covered Under Medicare Part B During COVID-19 Pandemic »
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 »
The National Osteoporosis Foundation’s (NOF) Online Support Community Now Connects More Than 50,000 Members »
The National Osteoporosis Foundation’s Online Community, hosted by Inspire, now connects more than 50,000 members. NOF’s online community is a safe place where patients and caregivers affected by osteoporosis can come together to share helpful advice and support one another. The community has grown rapidly since launching in October 2007, underscoring the great need to… Read more »
UPDATED: Coronavirus: What Older Adults Need to Know »
By Kathleen Cameron, BSPharm, MPH | 2.28.2020 Note: This blog post was originally published by the National Council on Aging and was updated on March 7 with the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Please check back frequently for updates and visit CDC for the most current news. The situation around the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)… Read more »
Legislation to Assist in Restoring Patient Access to DXA Testing »
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 »
DXA Testing by the Numbers – Updated »
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 »