Osteoporosis is Common.
Approximately 10 million Americans age 50 and above have osteoporosis and another 44 million have low bone density, placing them at increased risk for bone fracture.
For women, the incidence of breaking a bone is greater than that of heart attack, stroke and breast cancer combined.
Osteoporosis is serious, even deadly.
Osteoporosis is treatable, if not preventable.
Medicare payment rates for bone-density tests have been cut by 70 percent resulting in 2.3 million fewer women being tested. And in the last 5 years the osteoporosis diagnosis of older women has declined by 18 percent.
The percentage of Americans who have suffered a hip fracture getting medication afterward to prevent another fracture declined from 40.2% in 2002 to 20.5% in 2011.
Medicare often does not pay for the cost-effective care coordination known as fracture liaison service meaning that most go without its benefits.
Osteoporosis is Costly.
Osteoporotic bone fractures are responsible for more hospitalizations than heart attacks, strokes and breast cancer combined.
We spend about $400,000 a year for hip fracture patient care—And that does not include the costs of long-term care.