Table 2.
Trends in Hospitalizations and Expenditures in the Last 1, 3, and 6 Months of Life Among Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries, 1999–2013.
| Measure | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last 1 month of life | |||||||||||||||
| CPI-adjusted Medicare inpatient expenditure per death* ($) | 9,038 | 8,771 | 9,102 | 9,189 | 8,852 | 8,652 | 8,683 | 8,759 | 8,893 | 9,242 | 9,836 | 9,438 | 9,115 | 8,793 | 8,410 |
| Total mean length of stay (days) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| ≥1 hospitalization (per 100 deaths*) | 41.5 | 41.3 | 41.3 | 41.4 | 41.0 | 40.7 | 39.9 | 38.9 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 38.8 | 38.2 | 38.0 | 37.3 | 36.4 |
| Total hospitalizations (per 100 deaths*) | 65.9 | 65.9 | 66.7 | 66.5 | 66.3 | 65.8 | 64.8 | 63.3 | 63.6 | 63.7 | 62.9 | 61.8 | 61.1 | 60.3 | 57.1 |
| Last 3 months of life | |||||||||||||||
| CPI-adjusted Medicare inpatient expenditure per death* ($) | 12,406 | 12,104 | 12,616 | 12,710 | 12,412 | 12,273 | 12,316 | 12,445 | 12,660 | 13,093 | 13,984 | 13,475 | 12,985 | 12,703 | 11,446 |
| Ratio of expenditure (last 1 month to last 3 months) | 0.729 | 0.725 | 0.721 | 0.723 | 0.713 | 0.705 | 0.705 | 0.704 | 0.702 | 0.706 | 0.703 | 0.700 | 0.702 | 0.692 | 0.735 |
| Total mean length of stay (days) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| ≥1 hospitalization (per 100 deaths*) | 57.2 | 57.0 | 57.4 | 57.3 | 57.0 | 57.0 | 55.8 | 54.9 | 55.2 | 55.0 | 54.9 | 54.4 | 53.9 | 53.3 | 49.1 |
| Total hospitalizations (per 100 deaths*) | 100.0 | 100.4 | 102.2 | 101.5 | 102.1 | 102.0 | 100.3 | 98.8 | 99.7 | 99.5 | 98.6 | 97.3 | 96.1 | 95.5 | 84.4 |
| Last 6 months of life | |||||||||||||||
| CPI-adjusted Medicare inpatient expenditure per death* ($) | 15,312 | 15,014 | 15,684 | 15,727 | 15,455 | 15,370 | 15,371 | 15,565 | 15,838 | 16,292 | 17,423 | 16,865 | 16,231 | 16,012 | 13,388 |
| Ratio of expenditure (last 1 month to last 6 months) | 0.590 | 0.584 | 0.580 | 0.584 | 0.573 | 0.563 | 0.565 | 0.563 | 0.561 | 0.567 | 0.565 | 0.560 | 0.562 | 0.549 | 0.628 |
| Total mean length of stay (days) | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
| ≥1 hospitalization (per 100 deaths*) | 70.5 | 70.7 | 71.2 | 70.6 | 70.6 | 70.7 | 69.0 | 68.2 | 68.7 | 68.1 | 68.4 | 67.9 | 67.2 | 66.9 | 56.8 |
| Total hospitalizations (per 100 deaths*) | 131.1 | 132.6 | 134.9 | 133.4 | 134.6 | 134.9 | 132.0 | 130.7 | 132.2 | 131.3 | 130.8 | 129.4 | 127.4 | 127.4 | 102.9 |
*
Any deaths that occurred within 1 year regardless of hospitalizations.
CPI, Consumer Price Index