Title | The burden of health care costs for patients with dementia in the last 5 years of life. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2015 |
Authors | Kelley, A, McGarry, K, Gorges, RJean, Skinner, JS |
Journal | Ann Intern Med |
Volume | 163 |
Issue | 10 |
Pagination | 729-36 |
Date Published | 2015 Nov 17 |
ISSN Number | 1539-3704 |
Keywords | Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cost of Illness, Dementia, Female, Health Expenditures, Humans, Insurance, Health, Male, Medicaid, Medicare, Retrospective Studies, Socioeconomic factors, Terminal Care, United States |
Abstract | BACKGROUND: Common diseases, particularly dementia, have large social costs for the U.S. population. However, less is known about the end-of-life costs of specific diseases and the associated financial risk for individual households. OBJECTIVE: To examine social costs and financial risks faced by Medicare beneficiaries 5 years before death. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: The HRS (Health and Retirement Study). PARTICIPANTS: Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, aged 70 years or older, who died between 2005 and 2010 (n = 1702), stratified into 4 groups: persons with a high probability of dementia or those who died because of heart disease, cancer, or other causes. MEASUREMENTS: Total social costs and their components, including Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, out-of-pocket spending, and informal care, measured over the last 5 years of life; and out-of-pocket spending as a proportion of household wealth. RESULTS: Average total cost per decedent with dementia ($287 038) was significantly greater than that of those who died of heart disease ($175 136), cancer ($173 383), or other causes ($197 286) (P < 0.001). Although Medicare expenditures were similar across groups, average out-of-pocket spending for patients with dementia ($61 522) was 81% higher than that for patients without dementia ($34 068); a similar pattern held for informal care. Out-of-pocket spending for the dementia group (median, $36 919) represented 32% of wealth measured 5 years before death compared with 11% for the nondementia group (P < 0.001). This proportion was greater for black persons (84%), persons with less than a high school education (48%), and unmarried or widowed women (58%). LIMITATION: Imputed Medicaid, private insurance, and informal care costs. CONCLUSION: Health care expenditures among persons with dementia were substantially larger than those for other diseases, and many of the expenses were uncovered (uninsured). This places a large financial burden on families, and these burdens are particularly pronounced among the demographic groups that are least prepared for financial risk. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: National Institute on Aging. |
DOI | 10.7326/M15-0381 |
User Guide Notes | |
Endnote Keywords | Care and treatment/Public Policy/Financial risk/Dementia/Medicare/Palliative care/Health care expenditures |
Endnote ID | 999999 |
Alternate Journal | Ann Intern Med |
Citation Key | 8242 |
PubMed ID | 26502320 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC4809412 |
Grant List | K23-AG040774 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States K23 AG040774 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States U01 AG009740 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States U01-AG046830 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States P01 AG019783 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States P01-AG19783 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States U01 AG046830 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States |