Medicare Spending Peaks at Age 96
In this column for The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses the implications of a Kaiser finding: per capita Medicare spending peaks at age 96, and the main reason is not end-of-life care.
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Medicare Spending Peaks at Age 96
News ReleaseIn his latest column for The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses the implications of a Kaiser finding: per capita Medicare spending peaks at age 96, and the main reason is not end-of-life care. All previous columns by Drew Altman are available online.
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The Rising Cost of Living Longer: Analysis of Medicare Spending by Age for Beneficiaries in Traditional Medicare
ReportThis analysis provides a detailed look at per person Medicare spending on the nearly 30 million beneficiaries over age 65 who are enrolled in the traditional Medicare program. Among the key findings of the report is that per person spending rises with age, peaking at age 96. But this rise is not entirely explained by Medicare spending on end of life care, which declines with age. What Medicare spends money on also changes as beneficiaries…
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Visualizing Health Policy: Medicare and End-of-Life Care
Other PostThis Visualizing Health Policy infographic, produced in partnership with the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), provides a snapshot of Medicare and end-of-life care.
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10 FAQs: Medicare’s Role in End-of-Life Care
Fact SheetAbout eight of 10 of the 2.6 million people who died in the US in 2014 were people on Medicare, making Medicare the largest insurer of health care provided during the last year of life. These Frequently Asked Questions explain Medicare’s role in or coverage of end-of-life care, advance care planning, advance directives, and hospice care. They also provide information on Medicare spending on end-of-life care, changes to the physician fee schedule, and how related issues arose…
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What is Medicare’s Role in End-of-Life Care?
News ReleaseMedicare plays an integral role in end-of-life care, an issue that is emotionally-charged and easily politicized. About three-quarters of the 2.5 million Americans who die each year are ages 65 and older, and covered by Medicare at the time of their death, yet policy issues related to Medicare and end-of-life care are often poorly understood. As policymakers consider whether and how Medicare should pay physicians and other health care professionals for talking to Medicare beneficiaries…
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New Report on the “Rising Cost of Living Longer” Details Medicare Spending by Age
News ReleaseA new report, The Rising Cost of Living Longer: Analysis of Medicare Spending by Age for Beneficiaries in Traditional Medicare, from the Kaiser Family Foundation takes a detailed look at per person Medicare spending by age and by service among the nearly 30 million people covered by traditional Medicare in 2011
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Shifting Views on Same-Sex Marriage, Marijuana and End-of-Life Issues
From Drew AltmanIn this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman examines three areas of American life where public attitudes have been steadily changing – same sex marriage, marijuana, and end of life issues – and discusses the implications for policy and law.
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Shifting Views on Same-Sex Marriage, Marijuana and End-of-Life Issues
News ReleaseIn his latest column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman examines three areas of American life where public attitudes have been steadily changing – same sex marriage, marijuana, and end of life issues - and discusses the implications for policy and law. All previous columns by Drew Altman are available online.
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Views and Experiences with End-of-Life Medical Care in the U.S.
ReportIn partnership with The Economist, the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a cross-country survey of adults in the United States, Japan, Italy, and Brazil about people’s views and experiences related to aging and end-of-life medical care. This report gives an overview of the U.S. survey results, including ratings of the health care system, personal preferences, conversations and planning related to end-of-life wishes, and experiences with loved ones’ death.