Endocrine Insider
September 13, 2007

The members of the DXA coalition, which includes The Endocrine Society, National Osteoporosis Foundation, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, and International Society of Clinical Densitometry, met with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Deputy Administrator Herb Kuhn on August 28, 2007 to discuss concerns regarding the payment cuts to DXA services. The timing of the meeting was particularly important as comments on the 2008 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule were due on August 31, 2007 (see related article in this issue).

During the meeting, members of the coalition discussed the impact that the payment cuts will have on patient access and quality of care, and discussed the changes that must be implemented in order to ensure adequate payment levels. In addition to presentations by coalition members, consultants from the Lewin Group presented the findings of two studies, funded in part by The Endocrine Society, related to DXA payment cuts. The first study, which measured the cost of providing DXA services in a physician’s office, found that the median cost to respondents of providing DXA services is $134, well above the 2007 payment rate of $82. The second study, which measured the cost to Medicare of freezing payment rates at 2006 levels ($140), found that although Medicare payments for DXA services would increase by $648 million over five years, the proposal could save Medicare $1.14 billion by reducing and preventing fractures.