After several months of discussions with Senate Finance Committee offices, The Endocrine Society and National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) have secured a sponsor for a Senate companion bill to HR 4206, the “Medicare Fracture Prevention and Osteoporosis Testing Act of 2007.” The Society and NOF have been working closely with Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), who plans to introduce a bill in the next week that will halt the scheduled cuts to DXA reimbursement under Medicare over the next several years. Many Society members who are based in Colorado contacted Senator Salazar and spoke about the impact of the cuts on their ability to provide DXA services in their offices. This grassroots effort was a critical factor in securing the support of the senator.

As reported previously in Endocrine Insider, the Society has been working with a coalition of Sister Societies to reverse cuts to DXA and VFA services that went into effect on January 1, 2007, as a result of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 and changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. The cuts will result in a reduction of payments to physicians of approximately 64 percent when fully implemented in 2010. Like its companion bill in the House, HR 4206, Senator Salazar’s bill will restore Medicare reimbursement rates to 2006 levels.

The House bill currently has 54 co-sponsors, and Senator Salazar will be eager to add original co-sponsors to the companion bill as well. Look for additional communication from the Society to contact your senators to encourage their support of the bill.