Spotting Osteoporosis Early On with Bone Density Testing

Bone density test or bone scans or bone mineral density tests assess bone strength by gauging a tiny portion of a single or a small number of bones. Discerning bone strength could assist a physician in recommending preventative approaches and medicines for osteoporosis, in case necessary, for either slowing or stopping bone loss (decreased bone tissue density or calcification) and fracture.

Candidates for Bone Density Test

In accordance to the parameters set by the National Osteoporosis Foundation, bone density test should be considered by the following set of individuals.

• Women in their post-menopause phase and under sixty-five years of age with osteoporosis risk factor.
• Women in ages sixty-five years and above.
• Women in post-menopause phase having fractures; this is not compulsory since therapy could be commenced irrespective of bone density.
• Females having medical sicknesses linked to osteoporosis; such ailments amount to over fifty. A primary care physician could conduct inspections of a patient’ listing of medical ailments for verifying if one of such diseases is not there.
• Females whose choice to take medicines could be assisted by bone density test.

Bone Density Test – Do health insurance providers cover the outlay?

Although there is a price for getting a bone density test done, the crucial info one would get regarding one’s bone health could be life-saving. Several health insurers and even Medicare pay for the expenses incurred in a bone density test. However, one would require checking well in advance for seeing whether the test is being provided cover under one’s explicit plan (or in case one qualifies as par Medicare’s eligibility norms.

Majority of the health insurance companies would provide cover for the bone density test and in case a person has a single or additional risk factors like:

• Some form of fracture.
• Women in their post-menopause phase.
• Menopausal women who do not take estrogen.
• Those people who take medicines that are causal to osteoporosis (bone thinning).

Medicare pays for bone density tests in case of the below mentioned people in ages of sixty-five years and more.

• Estrogen-deficit females who are at risk of developing osteoporosis.
• People having spinal deformities.
• People who are getting or intend on getting long-standing glucocorticoids (GC or steroid) treatment.
• People having primary hyperparathyroidism.
• People who are been observed for assessing the reaction or efficiency of a consented osteoporosis medication treatment.

Medicare consents people to undergo bone density testing in two yearly time interval.