Table 3.

Adjusted Net Difference in Mean Medicare Expenditures in the Last Year of Life among Hospice Patients According to Expenditure Type.^*

Expenditure Type	Hospice Group (Group 2)		Nonhospice Group (Group 3)		Net Difference†
	G22004	G22009	G32004	G32009
	dollars
Hospice	0	10,191	0	0	10,191
Hospitalizations	13,082	13,678	16,860	19,516	−2,060
Skilled-nursing-facility care	8,022	5,697	8,660	7,279	−944
Physician visits or other Medicare part B expenses	5,064	5,390	5,932	6,280	−22
Other‡	4,469	5,586	5,293	6,814	−404
Total	30,637	40,542	36,745	39,889	6,761

^*All expenditures are in 2007 dollars.

^†Net differences are calculated as the difference in expenditures over time for the hospice group (group 2) minus the difference in expenditures over time for the nonhospice control group (group 3): (G2₂₀₀₉ - G2₂₀₀₄) − (G3₂₀₀₉ - G3₂₀₀₄).

^‡Other expenditures include outpatient care (e.g., emergency department, observation days in a hospital), long-term acute care hospitalizations, psychiatric hospitalizations, inpatient rehabilitation facility post–acute care, and home health care.