Osteoporosis Screening

[thinkenergy]

Let's say:

A 59 yo Caucasian female comes in for an annual checkup, she is chronic smoker 40 pack years, her BMI is 21, and her mother had an osteoporosis related hip fracture at age 67, would you recommend DEXA scan right now?

Case files says that USPSTF recommends DEXA for women at age 60 instead the typical 65 if she has risk factors. I looked up the current USPSTF guidelines, which was updated in 2011, they actually recommended all females < 60 with 10-year risk greater than that of a 65 Caucasian female w/o any risk factors. USPSTF uses FRAX tool to estimates 10year risks.

So for my questions: should the physician recommend DEXA now or at age 65?

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[cabinbuilder]

You can recommend it, doesn't mean insurance will pay for it.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

Absolutely. Medicare is placing a very high emphasis on osteoporosis right now. As an orthopod, if I counsel someone that comes in for something else that is in that age group about osteo, I can charge for it.

I think it would be paid for.