Comparison of Health Care Cost Trajectories in the Last Year of Life by Age at Death - Takeaways - MDSpire

Comparison of Health Care Cost Trajectories in the Last Year of Life by Age at Death

  • By

  • Ya-Chen Tina Shih

  • Xiaoyi Lexy Xu

  • Lei Liu

  • John K. Lin

  • June 4, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    End-of-life costs account for 25% of Medicare expenditures, despite representing only 4% of beneficiaries.

  • 2

    Younger individuals with private insurance likely incur higher end-of-life costs than those aged 65 and older.

  • 3

    The study analyzed claims data linked to mortality to assess end-of-life costs across various age groups.

  • 4

    Data were sourced from MarketScan databases, covering a large segment of the private insurance market.

  • 5

    Standardized reimbursement rates were used to compare costs between private insurance and Medicare beneficiaries.

Original Source(s)

Comparison of Health Care Cost Trajectories in the Last Year of Life by Age at Death

  • by Ya-Chen Tina Shih, Xiaoyi Lexy Xu, Lei Liu, John K. Lin

  • June 4, 2026

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