Medicare and End-of-Life Care

1. Figure 1
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation, “Medicare Spending at the End of Life: A Snapshot of Beneficiaries Who Died in 2014 and the
Cost of Their Care,” July 2016. Data from Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of 5% percent sample of Medicare claims from CMS’
Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse (CCW), 2014 (for total Medicare beneficiary deaths in 2014); National Center for Health
Statistics, Health, United States, 2015: With Special Feature on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 2016, Table 19 (for total deaths
in 2014).
4 of 5 people who died in the United States in 2014 were
covered by Medicare
Total Deaths, 2014: 2.6 million
Total Medicare Beneficiary Deaths, 2014: 2.1 million

2. Figure 2
18.6% 17.8%
16.4%
14.9% 14.9% 14.5% 14.3%
13.5%
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
ShareofTotalMedicareSpending
NOTE: Excludes beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation, “Medicare Spending at the End of Life: A Snapshot of Beneficiaries Who Died in 2014 and the
Cost of Their Care,” July 2016. Data from Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of 5% percent sample of Medicare claims from CMS’
Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse (CCW), 2014.
The share of total Medicare spending for people at the end
of life has decreased

3. Figure 3
NOTE: Excludes beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation, “Medicare Spending at the End of Life: A Snapshot of Beneficiaries Who Died in 2014 and the
Cost of Their Care,” July 2016. Data from Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of 5% percent sample of Medicare claims from CMS’
Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse (CCW), 2014.
Medicare spending was higher for people at the end of life
in 2014
$34,529
per person
$9,121
per person
Decedents with Medicare Others with Medicare

4. Figure 4
NOTE: Excludes beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage. 65-year-olds excluded because most are enrolled for less than one year.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation, “Medicare Spending at the End of Life: A Snapshot of Beneficiaries Who Died in 2014 and the
Cost of Their Care,” July 2016. Data from Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of 5% percent sample of Medicare claims from CMS’
Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse (CCW), 2014.
Medicare spending for end-of-life care decreased with age
in 2014
$5,271
$14,546
$38,840
$18,471
65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
SpendingperPerson
Others with Medicare
Age in Years
Decedents with Medicare

5. Figure 5
21%
46%
NOTE: Excludes beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of 5% percent sample of Medicare claims from CMS’ Chronic Conditions Data
Warehouse (CCW), 2000 and 2014.
Medicare hospice use and spending has increased
2000 2014 2000 2014
$2.3 billion
$10.4 billion
Share of Decedents who
Received Hospice Care
Total Medicare
Hospice Spending

6. Figure 6
SOURCE: Pie 1: Kaiser Family Foundation Tracking Poll, September 2015; Pie 2: Pew Research Center, “Views on End-of-Life
Medical Treatments,” November 2013.
Many people aged ≥ 65 years have not discussed end-of-life
care with a physician (2015) or documented end-of-life care
wishes (2013)
73%
Have NOT
discussed
27%
Have
discussed
40%
Have NOT
documented
60%
Have
documented
Before January 1, 2016, Medicare did not reimburse physicians for patient visits to discuss EOL care.

7. Figure 7
SOURCE: The John A. Harford Foundation “Conversation Stopper: What’s Preventing Physicians from Talking with Patients about
End-of-Life and Advance Care Planning?” Poll, April 2016.
Most physicians report not being trained to discuss end-of-
life care (2016)
29%
Report having
had training
68%
Report NOT
having had
training
3%
Don't Know
Before January 1, 2016, Medicare did not reimburse physicians for patient visits to discuss EOL care.