HR 435 — A Resolution recognizing the month of May 2026 as "Osteoporosis Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

PRINTER'S NO.   2995

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 435
                                              Session of
                                                2026

     INTRODUCED BY SHUSTERMAN, KOSIEROWSKI, VENKAT, HILL-EVANS,
        CONKLIN, GUZMAN, KHAN, McNEILL, GUENST, SANCHEZ, RIVERA,
        K. HARRIS, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, GALLAGHER, PASHINSKI, MADDEN AND
        COOPER, MARCH 12, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, MARCH 12, 2026


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Recognizing the month of May 2026 as "Osteoporosis Awareness
 2      Month" in Pennsylvania.
 3      WHEREAS, Osteoporosis is a disease that makes bones thinner,
 4   less dense, more fragile and more likely to fracture; and
 5      WHEREAS, An estimated 54 million Americans have osteoporosis
 6   or low bone mass; and
 7      WHEREAS, In 2020, more than 2.7 million Pennsylvanians 50
 8   years of age and older had osteoporosis or were at risk for
 9   developing osteoporosis because of low bone density; and
10      WHEREAS, Studies suggest that approximately one in two women
11   and up to one in four men who are 50 years of age or older will
12   break a bone due to osteoporosis; and
13      WHEREAS, Approximately 1.8 million Medicare beneficiaries
14   suffer nearly 2.1 million osteoporotic fractures per year, and
15   these fractures are responsible for more hospitalizations than
16   heart attacks, strokes or breast cancer; and
17      WHEREAS, The total annual cost for osteoporotic fractures
 1   among Medicare beneficiaries was $57 billion in 2018 and is
 2   expected to grow, as the population ages, to more than $95
 3   billion in 2040; and
 4         WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, 82,000 Medicare beneficiaries
 5   suffered more than 97,000 osteoporotic fractures in 2016; and
 6         WHEREAS, An estimated 10,200 Pennsylvanians on Medicare
 7   suffered not only an initial fracture but also a subsequent
 8   fracture resulting in estimated costs of more than $228.4
 9   million; and
10         WHEREAS, Building strong bones begins in childhood, and the
11   peak of bone mass occurs by early adulthood; and
12         WHEREAS, Osteoporosis and the broken bones it can cause are
13   not part of normal aging, and prevention of osteoporosis is
14   important throughout an individual's lifetime; and
15         WHEREAS, Optimum bone health and prevention of osteoporosis
16   can be supported by a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin
17   D, weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercise and a
18   healthy lifestyle with no smoking or excessive alcohol intake;
19   and
20         WHEREAS, Osteoporosis is often called a silent disease
21   because weakening bones may not be obvious, and breaking a bone
22   is often the first sign of osteoporosis; and
23         WHEREAS, Timely bone health screening, diagnosis and
24   treatment can help prevent fractures leading to hospitalization
25   and nursing home stays; and
26         WHEREAS, The United States Preventive Services Task Force
27   recommends screening for osteoporosis to prevent osteoporotic
28   fractures in women 65 years of age or older and in
29   postmenopausal women younger than 65 years of age who are
30   determined to have an increased risk; and

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 1      WHEREAS, Research finds that only 7% of Pennsylvania Medicare
 2   beneficiaries are tested for osteoporosis within six months of a
 3   fracture; and
 4      WHEREAS, Cost-effective post-fracture care and improved care
 5   coordination has been demonstrated to reduce the number of
 6   subsequent or recurrent fractures, yet these programs are not
 7   widely available or properly incentivized by Medicare; and
 8      WHEREAS, It is crucial that awareness of bone health and
 9   osteoporosis is increased among the public, health professionals
10   and policymakers; therefore be it
11      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
12   month of May 2026 as "Osteoporosis Awareness Month" in
13   Pennsylvania; and be it further
14      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage the
15   observation of the ideals, goals and activities of beneficial
16   health programs that promote good bone health throughout an
17   individual's lifetime and the prevention of osteoporosis.




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