. 1988 Summer;9(4):99–111.

Table 2. Number and percent of Medicare beneficiaries and length of hospice enrollment, by selected characteristics: Fiscal years 1984-85.

Characteristic	Fiscal year 1984			Fiscal year 1985

	Number¹	Percent	Average length of stay in days	Number	Percent	Average length of stay in days
Total	2,005	100.0	29.3	5,991	100.0	32.1
Age
Under 65 years	125	6.2	32.0	334	5.6	33.5
65-74 years	1.002	50.0	29.4	2,899	48.4	31.5
75 years or over	877	43.8	28.5	2,758	46.0	32.5
Sex
Male	1,028	51.3	27.8	3,171	52.9	30.1
Female	977	48.7	30.6	2,820	47.1	34.3
Race
White	1,773	88.6	29.7	5,423	90.5	32.1
Black	162	8.1	24.6	385	6.4	33.6
Other	19	0.9	21.8	47	0.8	24.1
Unknown	51	2.5	—	136	2.3	—
Diagnosis
Cancer	1,980	98.8	29.3	5,612	93.7	32.1
Noncancer	25	1.2	25.7	375	6.3	30.8
Died in hospice	1,913	95.4	29.2	5,664	94.5	31.6
Left hospice, died	92	4.6	31.4	327	5.5	39.3

The data are obtained from the social security master enrollment file.