Take Action

Our advocates are people just like you. They have either been diagnosed with osteoporosis, have friends and family living with osteoporosis, treat patients with osteoporosis or just want to promote better bone health!

Our Advocacy Action Center makes it easy to learn about the issues, identify who your Representative and Senators are and send them a message on pending legislation. Check back soon to see our legislative action alerts!

Ask Congress to Restore Full Patient Access to Osteoporosis Testing

On March 1, Medicare reimbursement rates for DXAs performed in physician offices will be reduced, with the national average dropping from $98 to $56, a 40% cut in reimbursement,as Congress did not include an extension of the current reimbursement rates in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, H.R. 3630. 

Despite a strong advocacy effort carried out by NOF and the DXA Coalition in contacting Members of Congress, as well as strong bipartisan support among many of the House and Senate conferees who negotiated the tax package, there was some opposition to extending the current Medicare reimbursement rates for DXA, resulting in the provisions being eliminated from the final package. Learn more.

Please contact your Members of Congress TODAY to ask them to restore full patient access to osteoporosis testing. You can contact the Capitol Switchboard and ask to be connected to the office of your Representative and Senators at (202) 224-3121.

We urgently need you to call your Members of Congress to co-sponsor the “Preservation of Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act” (S. 1096/H.R. 2020) to restore full patient access to osteoporosis testing. When calling remember to:

1) Ask your Member of Congress to restore full patient access to osteoporosis testing by co-sponsoring H.R. 2020/S.1096.

2) Remind them that drastic 40% cuts to Medicare reimbursements levels for bone density testing conducted in physician offices will go into effect on March 1. Congress had previously recognized the importance of this issue by including language in the bipartisan two-month extension package passed in December 2011.

3) Explain that drastic 40% cuts will jeopardize patient access to osteoporosis testing and care because many patients will now need to travel to a hospital to get a DXA test and many may therefore forgo testing altogether (with fewer physicians able to provide bone density tests in their office due to the reduced reimbursement rate).

Let us know you contacted your Representative or Senator’s office by emailing ppgr@nof.org

Meet Your Member of Congress

You play a critical role in raising awareness of osteoporosis and bone health with Members of Congress and their staff, new and old. District work periods are a perfect time to meet with your Members of Congress in your community!

NOF wants to help you share your story and make your voice heard! Contact NOF is you're interested in meeting with your Member of Congress at ppgr@nof.org