Whereas osteoporosis is a highly prevalent and costly chronic disease that causes bones to weaken and fractures to be more likely;

Whereas an estimated 54,000,000 people of the United States have osteoporosis or low bone mass that increases their risk for osteoporosis;

Whereas approximately 1 in 2 women and up to 1 in 4 men age 50 and older will break a bone due to osteoporosis;

Whereas these fractures lead to more than 500,000 hospital admissions, 800,000 emergency room visits, 2,500,000 office visits, and nearly 180,000 nursing home admissions in the United States each year;

Whereas osteoporosis has significant consequences on older adults, with approximately 1,800,000 Medicare beneficiaries suffering approximately 2,100,000 osteoporotic fractures every year;

Whereas osteoporosis is one of the costliest chronic diseases with the total national annual cost of osteoporotic fractures among Medicare beneficiaries estimated at $57,000,000,000 and projected to rise over $95,000,000,000 in 2040 as the population ages;

Whereas osteoporotic fractures have been cited as a significant factor in opioid addiction rates among seniors as 23 percent of hip fracture patients became chronic opioid users after surgery;

Whereas osteoporosis is a silent disease because many people do not have symptoms and may not even know they have the disease until they break a bone;

Whereas only 8 percent of people are screened for osteoporosis within 6 months of a fracture, only about 20 percent of hip fracture patients receive medication proven to greatly reduce the risk of a second fracture, and few who suffer fractures receive model post-fracture care proven to reduce subsequent fracture risk; and

Whereas it is crucial to raise awareness about osteoporosis and bone health among the public of the United States and health professionals: Now, therefore, be it