Endocrine Insider
April 1, 2009

As previously reported in Endocrine Insider, The Endocrine Society has been working for almost two years with a coalition of sister societies toward a legislative and regulatory solution to the Medicare payment cuts for DXA services performed in physicians’ offices.  Because of these efforts, Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), along with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), has agreed to reintroduce the Medicare Fracture Prevention and Osteoporosis Testing Act in the Senate.  The Endocrine Society and the National Osteoporosis Foundation initiated discussions with Senator Lincoln’s office in January to highlight the importance of maintaining patient access to these services, particularly in rural areas such as those in Arkansas.  A concerted effort by the Society and our sister societies, and from Society members in Arkansas resulted in support for the bill from strong champions on key congressional committees for osteoporosis screening and preventive care.  Please watch for more news from the Society about how you can help in this effort.