Bone Density Screening

Bone mass measurements, also known as bone density screenings, are used to identify bone mass, detect bone loss, determine bone quality, and evaluate diseases of the bone and their responses to treatment.

• An estimated 10 million Americans have osteoporosis.
• 34 million Americans have low bone mass, placing them at an increased risk for osteoporosis.
• Osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually, including 300,000 hip fractures, 700,000 vertebral fractures, 250,000 wrist fractures, and more than 300,000 fractures of other sites. 
• Osteoporosis can be prevented. Early diagnosis and treatment can reduce or prevent fractures from occurring.

What Medicare Covers

• Medicare covers bone mass measurements every 2 years for "qualified" individuals considered to be at risk for osteoporosis. A "qualified" individual means a Medicare beneficiary who meets the medical indications for one of the following five categories:

1. An estrogen-deficient woman
2. An individual with vertebral abnormalities
3. An individual with known primary hyperparathyroidism
4. Some individuals receiving steroid therapy
5. Individuals receiving FDA-approved osteoporosis drug therapy