Medicare DXA screening fell 35.4% from 2005 to 2023, with widening racial and socioeconomic disparities

Osteoporosis screening with DXA declined 35.4% among Medicare beneficiaries from 2005 (7,255 per 100,000) to 2023 (4,690 per 100,000), with steeper drops in minority and deprived groups. Use rose 58% in those with highest comorbidities.

• Overall DXA utilization fell from 7,255 to 4,690 per 100,000 beneficiaries, a 35.4% decline.
• Hispanic patients and residents of socioeconomically deprived areas experienced the largest decreases.
• Beneficiaries with the greatest comorbidity burden saw a nearly 58% increase in the odds of receiving a DXA scan.

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