Your Medicare Coverage
Is my test, item, or service covered?
Bone mass measurement (bone density)
How often is it covered?
Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers this test, which helps to see if you're at risk to broken bones, once every 24 months (more often if medically necessary) for people who meet the criteria below. Medicare only covers this test when it's ordered by a doctor or other qualified provider.
Who's eligible?
All qualified people with Medicare who are at risk for osteoporosis and meet one or more of these conditions:
- A woman whose doctor determines she's estrogen deficient and at risk for osteoporosis, based on her medical history and other findings
- A person whose X-rays show possible osteoporosis, osteopenia, or vertebral fractures
- A person taking prednisone or steroid-type drugs or is planning to begin this treatment
- A person who has been diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism
- A person who is being monitored to see if their osteoporosis drug therapy is working
Your costs in Original Medicare
You pay nothing for this test if the doctor or other qualified health care provider accepts assignment.
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