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Does Medicare cover a bone density test?

Yes, for people who meet one of five conditions. When you do, Medicare Part B pays for the test once every 24 months and you pay nothing if the provider accepts assignment. The five conditions are the whole story, and one of them is not "being 65."

This page is about the bone density test. For how often Medicare pays for blood work and other lab tests, see our free chart of Medicare's screening schedules.

What the test is

Medicare.gov describes the bone mass measurement, the test most people call a bone density test or DXA scan, in one sentence: "This test helps to find out if you're at risk for broken bones. Your results will help you and your doctor or other provider choose the best way to keep your bones strong."

The five conditions, in plain English and in Medicare's words

Medicare.gov says the test is covered "if you meet certain conditions" and lists five. The rule behind that list is section 80.5 of chapter 15 of the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, which has not changed since January 2007. You need to fit at least one. Here is each one, first as Medicare.gov puts it, then as the manual writes it.

1. A woman who is low on estrogen and at risk for osteoporosis. Medicare.gov: "You're a woman whose doctor determines you're estrogen-deficient and at risk for osteoporosis." The manual: "A woman who has been determined by the physician or qualified nonphysician practitioner treating her to be estrogen-deficient and at clinical risk for osteoporosis, based on her medical history and other findings."
2. An X-ray that already shows a problem in the spine. Medicare.gov: "Your X-rays show possible osteoporosis, osteopenia, or vertebral fractures." The manual: "An individual with vertebral abnormalities as demonstrated by an x-ray to be indicative of osteoporosis, osteopenia, or vertebral fracture."
3. Steroid treatment, now or planned. Medicare.gov: "You're taking prednisone or steroid-type drugs or are planning to begin this treatment." The manual adds a dose and a length of time that Medicare.gov leaves out: "An individual receiving (or expecting to receive) glucocorticoid (steroid) therapy equivalent to an average of 5.0 mg of prednisone, or greater, per day, for more than 3 months."
4. Primary hyperparathyroidism. Medicare.gov: "You've been diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism." The manual: "An individual with primary hyperparathyroidism."
5. Checking whether an osteoporosis drug is working. Medicare.gov: "You're being monitored to see if your osteoporosis drug therapy is working." The manual: "An individual being monitored to assess the response to or efficacy of an FDA-approved osteoporosis drug therapy."

One detail for the fifth condition: the manual says a test done to monitor drug therapy must be one that "is performed with a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry system (axial skeleton)." In plain terms, that is a DXA scan of the hip, pelvis, or spine, not a heel or wrist scan.

How often Medicare pays

Medicare.gov: "Once every 24 months (or more often if medically necessary) if you meet certain conditions."

The manual explains what "every 24 months" means in practice: "Medicare pays for a screening BMM once every 2 years (at least 23 months have passed since the month the last covered BMM was performed)." So the count starts from the month of the last covered test, and 23 full months must pass first.

On testing more often, the manual says: "When medically necessary, Medicare may pay for more frequent BMMs. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following medical circumstances: Monitoring beneficiaries on long-term glucocorticoid (steroid) therapy of more than 3 months. Confirming baseline BMMs to permit monitoring of beneficiaries in the future." Whether your situation is medically necessary is your doctor's call, not ours.

What you pay

Medicare.gov: "You pay nothing for this test if the doctor or other health care provider accepts assignment." Medicare's provider chart puts the same thing as "No copayment, coinsurance, or deductible."

There is no "age 65" category

This is the part that surprises people. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says: "The USPSTF recommends screening for osteoporosis to prevent osteoporotic fractures in women 65 years or older." It also recommends screening for postmenopausal women under 65 who are "at increased risk ... as estimated by clinical risk assessment," and says that for men "current evidence is insufficient."

Medicare's rule does not work by age. None of the five conditions mentions 65, or any other age. A 65-year-old woman is covered only if she fits one of the five, and in practice that usually means the first one: her doctor determines that she is estrogen-deficient and at risk for osteoporosis, based on her medical history and other findings. The two documents are answering different questions. The task force says who it thinks should be screened. Medicare says whom it will pay for. We report both and do not take a side.

The codes on the order

Medicare's provider chart lists these codes for the test: 77080 (DXA of the hip, pelvis, or spine), 77081 (DXA of a peripheral site such as the wrist or heel), 76977 (ultrasound bone density at a peripheral site), and G0130 (single energy X-ray of a peripheral site). It also lists 77078 (CT bone density) and 77085 (DXA with vertebral fracture assessment).

If you have Medicare Advantage

Medicare's preventive services guide says: "If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, another Medicare health plan, or both Medicare and Medicaid, your coverage, costs, and rules might be different. Check with your plan or state Medicaid office for more details about the preventive services they offer." For what can and cannot change under a plan, see Medicare Advantage and lab tests.

Before you go

This is ClaraCover's checklist, built from the rules above. Three questions for your doctor's office.

1. "Which of the five conditions is on the order?" Medicare pays only when one of them applies, and the diagnosis on the order is how the claim shows it.
2. "What was the date of my last covered test?" At least 23 months must have passed since that month, unless your doctor has a medical reason for testing sooner.
3. "Does the provider accept assignment?" The $0 price depends on it.

Sources

• Medicare.gov: Bone mass measurements
• Medicare.gov: Your Guide to Medicare Preventive Services (booklet 10110, May 2026)
• CMS: Medicare Preventive Services educational tool (MLN006559), Bone Mass Measurement entry
• CMS: Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, chapter 15, section 80.5, Bone Mass Measurements
• CMS: National Coverage Determination 150.3, Bone (Mineral) Density Studies
• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: Osteoporosis to Prevent Fractures, Screening (final recommendation dated January 14, 2025)

Checked September 27, 2026. This page explains published Medicare rules. It is not medical or insurance advice, does not say who should have a bone density test, and cannot tell you whether your own test will be covered; your doctor's office and Medicare can. ClaraCover has no relationship with any provider or plan.