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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass and
3 the deterioration of bone tissues, which increase the risk of
4 bone fractures; osteoporosis primarily affects older women due
5 to the significant physical changes that affect bone health
6 during and following menopause; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease"
8 because bone loss occurs without symptoms and may not be
9 detected until a fracture occurs; bone mineral density tests
10 can be performed to identify osteoporosis and determine risk
11 for fractures before they occur; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Osteoporosis treatment focuses on proper
13 nutrition, exercise, and fall prevention; in addition,
14 medications may slow or stop bone loss, increase bone density,
15 and reduce fracture risk; building strong bones in childhood
16 and adolescence can help prevent osteoporosis later in life;
17 almost 90 percent of bone mass is acquired by age 18 in women
18 and by age 20 in men; and
 
19     WHEREAS, In the U.S., 10 million individuals, 80 percent of
20 whom are women, are estimated to have osteoporosis and almost
21 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass, placing
22 them at increased risk for the disease; half of women over age

 

 

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1 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their life;
2 fractures due to osteoporosis are most likely in the hip,
3 spine, and wrist, but any bone can be affected; and
 
4     WHEREAS, In 2005, osteoporosis was responsible for more
5 than 2 million fractures, costing an estimated $19 billion in
6 direct care; by 2025, osteoporosis-related fractures are
7 expected to cost approximately $25.3 billion in health costs;
8 approximately 75 percent of health care costs of osteoporosis
9 for women over the age of 45 are paid for by Medicare and
10 Medicaid; each year, 140,000 nursing home admissions are the
11 direct result of a hip fracture; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Federal and State legislation has been introduced
13 in an effort to increase funding for medical research on
14 osteoporosis, expand bone health and osteoporosis education
15 programs, and improve access and reimbursement for tests to
16 diagnose the disease; and
 
17     WHEREAS, At least thirty-five states and Puerto Rico have
18 enacted laws relating to osteoporosis, the majority of which
19 establish state-wide education, public awareness and
20 prevention programs; the states of California, Florida,
21 Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,
22 Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and
23 Texas all mandate insurance coverage for osteoporosis-related

 

 

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1 diagnostic and treatment services, including technologies
2 approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and bone
3 density measurement; and
 
4     WHEREAS, 20 ILCS 2305/8.2 requires the Department of Public
5 Health to establish, promote, and maintain an osteoporosis
6 prevention and education program to promote public awareness of
7 the causes of osteoporosis, options for prevention, the value
8 of early detection, and treatments; and
 
9     WHEREAS, 215 ILCS 5/356z.6 requires insurance coverage for
10 medically necessary bone mass measurement and for the diagnosis
11 and treatment of osteoporosis on the same terms and conditions
12 that are generally applicable to coverage for other medical
13 conditions; and
 
14     WHEREAS, 320 ILCS 25/3.15 provides coverage for any
15 prescription drug used in the treatment of osteoporosis under
16 the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief
17 and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act; and
 
18     WHEREAS, The month of May is National Osteoporosis
19 Awareness and Prevention Month and the date of October 20 is
20 World Osteoporosis Day; therefore, be it
 
21     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

 

 

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1 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
2 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the date of May 10,
3 2009 and every May 10 thereafter as "Osteoporosis Day" in the
4 State of Illinois.