PENNSYLVANIA, May 23 - WHEREAS, An estimated 10,200 Pennsylvanians on Medicare

suffered not only an initial fracture, but also a subsequent

fracture resulting in estimated costs of more than $228.4

million; and

WHEREAS, Building strong bones begins in childhood, and the

peak of bone mass occurs by early adulthood; and

WHEREAS, Osteoporosis and the broken bones it can cause are

not part of normal aging, and care for the prevention of

osteoporosis is important throughout our lifetime; and

WHEREAS, Optimum bone health and prevention of osteoporosis

can be maximized by a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin

D, weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercise and a

healthy lifestyle with no smoking or excessive alcohol intake;

and

WHEREAS, Osteoporosis is often called a silent disease

because weakening bones may not be obvious, and breaking a bone

is often the first sign of osteoporosis; and

WHEREAS, Timely bone health screening, diagnosis and

treatment can help prevent fractures leading to hospitalization

and nursing home stays; and

WHEREAS, Cost-effective post-fracture care and improved care

coordination has been demonstrated to reduce the number of

subsequent or recurrent fractures, yet these programs are not

widely available or properly incentivized by Medicare; and

WHEREAS, It is crucial that awareness of bone health and

osteoporosis is increased among the public, health professionals

and policymakers; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of May 2022 as

"Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month" in Pennsylvania;

and be it further

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