Please join with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in promoting National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month. Estimates indicate that as many as 50 percent of Americans older than 50 will be at risk for osteoporosis fractures during their lifetimes. Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without symptoms, but early diagnosis and treatment can reduce or prevent fractures from occurring.
Medicare Coverage: Medicare provides coverage for bone mass measurements once every 24 months (or more often if medically-necessary) for a qualified Medicare beneficiary when ordered by a physician or qualified non-physician practitioner. What Can You Do? As a healthcare professional, you play a crucial role in helping your patients maintain strong, healthy bones throughout their life. While osteoporosis is not curable, it can be treated and managed. Here's how you can help: * Talk with your patients about their risk factors. * Encourage all eligible Medicare patients to take full advantage of Medicare's bone mass measurements benefit. * Visit the websites listed below to learn more about National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month and Medicare coverage of bone mass measurements. For More Information: § Bone Mass Measurement web page<http://www.cms.gov/BoneMassMeasurement/> - This CMS web page provides an overview of information on provider resources for bone mass measurements. § Bone Mass Measurements Brochure<http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/Bone_Mass.pdf> - This brochure provides fee-for-service healthcare professionals with an overview of Medicare's coverage of bone mass measurements. * Quick Reference Information: Medicare Preventive Services<http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/MPS_QuickReferenceChart_1.pdf> - This chart provides coverage and coding information on Medicare-covered preventive services, including bone mass measurements. * The Guide to Medicare Preventive Services for Physicians, Providers, Suppliers, and Other Healthcare Professionals<http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/mps_guide_web-061305.pdf> - This comprehensive resource provides coverage and coding information on the array of Medicare-covered preventive services and screenings, including bone mass measurements. * NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases national Resource Center<http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/default.asp> * The National Osteoporosis Foundation<http://www.nof.org> Together we can promote better awareness and healthier bones. Thank you for your support! Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to (http://www.cms.gov/prospmedicarefeesvcpmtgen/downloads/Provider_Listservs.pdf). If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to (http://www.cms.gov/ContactCMS). Thank you.
