Study Gauges Out-of-Pocket Medicare Costs at End of Life
Between 2000 and 2010, Medicare beneficiaries spent an average of $38,688 in out-of-pocket costs during the last five years of their lives, with at least one-quarter of beneficiaries spending in excess of $100,000, according to a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The study also found that one-quarter of Medicare families spent more than their total household assets on out-of-pocket health care costs during beneficiaries' last five years of life.
- "One-Quarter on Medicare Spend $101,000 Out-of-Pocket" (UPI, 9/7).