Similar but Not the Same: How Medicare Per Capita Spending Compares for Younger and Older Beneficiaries

Table 1: Amount and Distribution of Medicare Per Capita Spending Overall and By Type of Service for Traditional Medicare Beneficiaries Under Age 65 and Over Age 65, 2014
Type of service Part of Medicare
covering service
Under age 65 Over age 651
Amount Percent of total Amount Percent of total
Total  $13,098 100.0%  $9,972 100.0%
Part D drugs D 3,817 29.1% 1,159 11.6%
Acute inpatient hospital A 3,141 24.0% 2,722 27.3%
Outpatient hospital A 2,203 16.8% 1,448 14.5%
Other inpatient hospital A 640 4.9% 369 3.7%
Evaluation & management B 503 3.8% 459 4.6%
Other Part B procedures B 370 2.8% 524 5.3%
Skilled nursing facility A 366 2.8% 826 8.3%
Physician office services B 365 2.8% 416 4.2%
Home health A or B2 324 2.5% 499 5.0%
Part B drugs B 287 2.2% 360 3.6%
Tests B 271 2.1% 239 2.4%
Durable medical equipment B 225 1.7% 132 1.3%
Other Part B services B 211 1.6% 164 1.6%
Imaging B 130 1.0% 171 1.7%
Hospice A 85 0.6% 333 3.3%
Dialysis B 59 0.5% 13 0.1%
Anesthesia B 52 0.4% 53 0.5%
Ambulatory surgery center B 50 0.4% 86 0.9%
NOTE: Analysis excludes beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage. 165-year olds are excluded because these beneficiaries are enrolled for less than a full year. 2Home health services can be covered under Part A or Part B depending on whether or not the services follow a hospital stay.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of a five percent sample of Medicare claims from the CMS Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse, 2014.
Table 2: Amount and Distribution of Medicare Per Capita Spending Overall and By Type of Service
for Traditional Medicare Beneficiaries Under Age 65, by Year of Age, 2014
TOTAL PER CAPITA Part D prescription drugs Inpatient hospital Outpatient hospital Part B providers/ services/ supplies/drugs Skilled nursing facility Hospice Home health
AGE Amount % of total Amount % of total Amount % of total Amount % of total Amount % of total Amount % of total Amount % of total Amount % of total
All <65 $13,098 100% $3,817 29.1% $3,781 28.9% $2,203 16.8% $2,523 19.3% $366 2.8% $85 0.6% $324 2.5%
25 7,918 100 2,185 27.6% 2,730 34.5% 1,464 18.5% 1,403 17.7% 43 0.5% 21 0.3% 71 0.9%
26 8,282 100 2,676 32.3% 2,497 30.1% 1,455 17.6% 1,527 18.4% 29 0.4% 0 0.0% 99 1.2%
27 9,199 100 2,836 30.8% 2,690 29.2% 1,697 18.4% 1,817 19.8% 55 0.6% 4 0.0% 101 1.1%
28 9,623 100 2,846 29.6% 2,827 29.4% 2,046 21.3% 1,727 18.0% 37 0.4% 5 0.0% 134 1.4%
29 10,578 100 2,943 27.8% 3,246 30.7% 1,925 18.2% 2,324 22.0% 41 0.4% 7 0.1% 92 0.9%
30 9,144 100 2,964 32.4% 2,675 29.3% 1,632 17.8% 1,711 18.7% 61 0.7% 8 0.1% 93 1.0%
31 10,408 100 3,455 33.2% 3,147 30.2% 1,729 16.6% 1,857 17.8% 97 0.9% 24 0.2% 100 1.0%
32 11,117 100 3,570 32.1% 3,216 28.9% 2,067 18.6% 2,002 18.0% 101 0.9% 28 0.2% 134 1.2%
33 11,150 100 3,793 34.0% 2,854 25.6% 2,084 18.7% 2,116 19.0% 103 0.9% 28 0.3% 171 1.5%
34 11,474 100 3,582 31.2% 3,456 30.1% 2,119 18.5% 2,020 17.6% 136 1.2% 31 0.3% 131 1.1%
35 11,834 100 3,757 31.7% 3,596 30.4% 2,080 17.6% 2,133 18.0% 66 0.6% 35 0.3% 167 1.4%
36 12,301 100 4,358 35.4% 3,292 26.8% 2,266 18.4% 2,064 16.8% 139 1.1% 16 0.1% 165 1.3%
37 11,876 100 4,097 34.5% 3,033 25.5% 2,256 19.0% 2,184 18.4% 99 0.8% 28 0.2% 178 1.5%
38 11,549 100 4,049 35.1% 3,030 26.2% 2,129 18.4% 2,041 17.7% 86 0.7% 12 0.1% 202 1.7%
39 13,079 100 4,323 33.1% 3,829 29.3% 2,268 17.3% 2,181 16.7% 184 1.4% 53 0.4% 241 1.8%
40 12,555 100 4,162 33.1% 3,021 24.1% 2,462 19.6% 2,501 19.9% 162 1.3% 32 0.3% 215 1.7%
41 13,013 100 4,186 32.2% 3,506 26.9% 2,528 19.4% 2,410 18.5% 135 1.0% 18 0.1% 230 1.8%
42 12,712 100 4,540 35.7% 3,155 24.8% 2,316 18.2% 2,281 17.9% 140 1.1% 50 0.4% 231 1.8%
43 13,034 100 4,208 32.3% 3,544 27.2% 2,354 18.1% 2,523 19.4% 161 1.2% 48 0.4% 195 1.5%
44 13,747 100 4,494 32.7% 3,811 27.7% 2,425 17.6% 2,454 17.9% 260 1.9% 41 0.3% 262 1.9%
45 13,578 100 4,448 32.8% 3,515 25.9% 2,534 18.7% 2,594 19.1% 197 1.5% 58 0.4% 232 1.7%
46 13,114 100 4,434 33.8% 3,447 26.3% 2,325 17.7% 2,381 18.2% 205 1.6% 55 0.4% 267 2.0%
47 13,831 100 4,587 33.2% 3,752 27.1% 2,370 17.1% 2,515 18.2% 255 1.8% 68 0.5% 284 2.1%
48 14,467 100 4,653 32.2% 4,102 28.4% 2,438 16.9% 2,632 18.2% 271 1.9% 51 0.4% 319 2.2%
49 13,802 100 4,681 33.9% 3,610 26.2% 2,405 17.4% 2,567 18.6% 182 1.3% 92 0.7% 263 1.9%
50 13,715 100 4,684 34.1% 3,556 25.9% 2,307 16.8% 2,502 18.2% 283 2.1% 67 0.5% 316 2.3%
51 14,250 100 4,630 32.5% 4,017 28.2% 2,273 15.9% 2,609 18.3% 328 2.3% 75 0.5% 318 2.2%
52 13,510 100 4,243 31.4% 3,827 28.3% 2,165 16.0% 2,561 19.0% 322 2.4% 80 0.6% 312 2.3%
53 13,703 100 4,313 31.5% 3,778 27.6% 2,183 15.9% 2,621 19.1% 402 2.9% 72 0.5% 335 2.4%
54 13,449 100 4,151 30.9% 3,667 27.3% 2,217 16.5% 2,609 19.4% 368 2.7% 98 0.7% 339 2.5%
55 13,700 100 4,176 30.5% 3,838 28.0% 2,195 16.0% 2,660 19.4% 389 2.8% 95 0.7% 347 2.5%
56 13,526 100 4,015 29.7% 3,771 27.9% 2,168 16.0% 2,639 19.5% 478 3.5% 82 0.6% 372 2.8%
57 13,246 100 3,776 28.5% 3,857 29.1% 2,126 16.0% 2,561 19.3% 457 3.5% 94 0.7% 374 2.8%
58 13,844 100 3,727 26.9% 4,118 29.7% 2,238 16.2% 2,721 19.7% 526 3.8% 103 0.7% 412 3.0%
59 13,450 100 3,556 26.4% 4,042 30.1% 2,147 16.0% 2,723 20.2% 447 3.3% 101 0.8% 434 3.2%
60 13,590 100 3,464 25.5% 4,147 30.5% 2,241 16.5% 2,674 19.7% 540 4.0% 115 0.8% 410 3.0%
61 13,674 100 3,327 24.3% 4,253 31.1% 2,167 15.8% 2,808 20.5% 563 4.1% 126 0.9% 430 3.1%
62 13,289 100 3,136 23.6% 4,073 30.6% 2,174 16.4% 2,718 20.5% 595 4.5% 169 1.3% 424 3.2%
63 13,672 100 2,983 21.8% 4,376 32.0% 2,263 16.6% 2,842 20.8% 624 4.6% 134 1.0% 451 3.3%
64 13,575 100 2,854 21.0% 4,383 32.3% 2,236 16.5% 2,775 20.4% 693 5.1% 167 1.2% 466 3.4%
NOTE: Analysis excludes beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of a five percent sample of Medicare claims from the CMS Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse, 2014.

 

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