2005 to 2023 Saw Decrease in DXA Testing for Osteoporosis Screening

THURSDAY, Aug. 13, 2026 (HealthDay News) — From 2005 to 2023, there was a decrease in dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) testing for osteoporosis among Medicare beneficiaries, with the largest decrease seen for Hispanic beneficiaries, according to a study published online Aug. 6 in Osteoporosis International.

Casey E. Pelzl, M.P.H., from the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute in Reston, Virginia, and colleagues examined the association between demographic and socioeconomic factors and national trends in DXA testing among Medicare beneficiaries in a 19-year repeated cross-sectional study (2005 to 2023).

A total of 5,243,098 unique beneficiaries were identified from 2005 to 2023; overall, 23.2 percent had at least one DXA test. The researchers found that from 2005 to 2023, there was a 35.4 percent decrease in annual use per 100,000 beneficiaries, from 7,255 to 4,690. The largest percentage decrease was seen for Hispanic beneficiaries (−35.3 percent) in the adjusted odds ratio of DXA utilization from 2005 to 2023 (adjusted odds ratio, 0.93 to 0.60); beneficiaries with a Neiman Imaging Comorbidity Index ≥7 demonstrated the largest percentage increase (+57.7 percent) in the adjusted odds ratio of DXA utilization (adjusted odds ratios, 1.11 and 1.70 in 2005 and 2023, respectively).

“This study highlights a troubling disconnect between clinical need and access to osteoporosis screening,” Pelzl said in a statement. “We are seeing that use of DXA testing declined most sharply in populations that already face higher barriers in accessing care. That has real consequences for fracture prevention, health equity, and long-term Medicare spending.”

One author disclosed ties to Radius and GE Healthcare.

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