Figure 1.

Percent Dying and Percent of Medicare Payments Spent in the Last 12 Months of Life, among Medicare Beneficiaries Aged 65 and Older, 1978–2006

Notes: Figure excludes beneficiaries enrolled in managed care at any point during the year. Payment data were not available for years 1998–2000. ^*Adjusted to the age, sex, and survival status of the 1978 sample. For linear trends 1978–2006: p<.01 (unadjusted costs), p=.64 (adjusted costs), and p=.11 (death rates). Source: Medicare Continuous History Sample.