Proposed Plan for 20% Reduction in Hip Fractures Could Save $5B Annually

The National Bone Health Alliance and Kaiser Permanente recently unveiled their "20/20 Vision" for reducing hip and other fractures by 20 percent by 2020, according to a joint news release. The plan was unveiled at a best practices sharing event at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health on Capitol Hill. Currently, 90 percent of the 325,000 hip fractures reported in the United States every year are in patients age 65 or older, according to the report. In 2005, osteoporosis-related fractures were responsible for $19 billion in costs, a figure expected to rise to $25 billion by 2025, which makes the effort particularly crucial for lowering the cost burden to the healthcare system.

The proposal to decrease hip fractures includes the establishment of a fracture liaison service facilitated by NBHA within Medicare and other health systems. The service would assess patients for osteoporosis fracture and provide treatment and follow-up to manage the disease and prevent repeat fractures. The Kaiser Permanente Healthy Bones Program reduced hip fracture rates by 37 percent and could save 100,000 fractures and $5 billion annually.

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