ASBMR e-News Weekly: May 27, 2021 Edition

DXA Legislation Introduced in House!
US Members Urged to Contact Representatives!
 

On Tuesday, Representatives John Larson (D-CT), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Jackie Walorski (R-IN), Michael Burgess (R-TX) and Lori Trahan (D-MA) introduced H.R. 3517, the Increasing Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2021. The legislation would set a floor of $98 for Medicare reimbursement of office-based Medicare DXA scans.

Over the past decade, Medicare reimbursement for DXA bone density tests in physician’s offices has declined a shocking 72 percent. Declining reimbursement rates have fueled a loss of 10,000 providers which led to 5.8 million fewer women having a DXA test since 2009. This reduction in testing has especially impacted rural and underserved communities.

We urge US-based members to use this pre-written e-mail to contact your representative to support HR 3517.

Honor National Osteoporosis Month During the Final Days of May!
Register for the ASBMR Virtual 5k Fun Run!
 

Don't miss out on participating in the ASBMR Fund for Research and Education's first ever Virtual 5k Fun Run! Take advantage during the last week of May to honor National Osteoporosis Month to run, walk, ride or roll, and raise awareness and money to support ASBMR early stage investigators! Participants can register and complete their virtual race any time between now and May 31, 2021. Be sure to sign up for the Fun Run Photo Contest, which will award prizes in three categories, including Best Race Route, Best Outfit and Best Background.  Many thanks to the 223 participants for supporting the fund! Register today!

Last Chance to Stock Up on All Your Society Gear at the ASBMR Pop-Up Store!
 

Visit the ASBMR Pop-Up Store, a virtual market where you can stock up on ASBMR-branded apparel including jackets, shirts, lab coats and reusable masks! The Pop-Up store closes Monday, May 31 so don’t miss out on this opportunity to purchase your society gear. All net proceeds from the sale of merchandise will go directly to the ASBMR Fund for Research and Education, which provides financial support to early stage investigators. Shop now!

ASBMR will Cover Registration Costs for Early Stage Investigators
to Attend the 2021 ECTS Digital Masterclass
 

ASBMR invites our early stage investigator members to take advantage of the opportunity to attend the ECTS-GEMSTONE Digital Masterclass for Ph.D. Students, Trainees and Young Investigators. Ten awards will be given by ASBMR to cover the registration fees to attend the four day online course occurring August 24-27, 2021. The ECTS-sponsored course will cover physiology and pathology of bone and calcium metabolism and methods in bone research, and will promote networking between participants. The deadline to apply is Friday, June 11, 2021. Click here for more information on the course, eligibility, and to apply!

You're Invited to the Next ASBMR Webinar: “Bench to Bedside and Back Again:
Discontinuing Denosumab” with Drs. Michelle McDonald and Bente Langhdahl
 

Register today for the ASBMR Webinar: “Bench to Bedside and Back Again: Discontinuing Denosumab” on Wednesday, June 16 at 2:00 PM EDT with Michelle McDonald Ph.D. and Bente Langdahl, M.D. In this webinar, Dr. McDonald, will present data from a pre-clinical study modeling denosumab withdrawal revealing rapid rises in serum TRAP levels above control levels precedes bone loss, and Dr. Langdahl will present data from the ZOLARMAB study investigating different zoledronate regimens after denosumab discontinuation as well as other clinical intervention and observational trials adding information about how best to manage denosumab discontinuation. Please click here to read more about the webinar, speaker and to register.
 
Miss Tuesday’s webinar with Drs. Lee and Rauch on Osteogenesis Imperfecta? You can view the recording in the ASBMR Education Resource Center.

Register Today for the Seattle Rare Disease Virtual Conference – June 4-5, 2021
 

Join Born a Hero Research Foundation and Seattle Children’s Research Institute for this year’s virtual Seattle Rare Disease Fair on June 4, and the Rare Disease Summit on June 5. The Virtual Rare Disease Fair and Summit aim to educate and engage about the importance of rare disease research. Download the event brochure here. For more information about this year’s speakers, click here.

Exciting Educational Campaign Promoting Women’s Bone Health from
American Bone Health and Susan G. Komen Foundation
 

American Bone Health is joining forces with Susan G. Komen, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, on a unique educational campaign to promote women’s breast health and bone health. The goal of this campaign is to empower women to have conversations with their health care providers about appropriate screening and diagnosis so they can understand their evolving risk of breast cancer, bone loss and fractures. Read the press release here.

 Register Today for the Turner Syndrome Virtual Conference:
Care of the Patient Across the Lifespan – Friday, June 4, 2021
 

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is hosting a one day virtual conference geared toward pediatricians and pediatric and adult endocrinologists on Turner syndrome throughout the lifespan. Download the brochure for a complete schedule and registration information.