title: Myths of the high medical cost of old age and dying.
abstract: This report challenges commonly held beliefs about the financial and medical impact of older Americans during their last months of life. Written by physicians specializing in geriatrics, the report offers a wealth of data to refute seven misconceptions that currently influence U.S. health care policies: (1) that the growing number of older people has been the primary factor driving the rise in U.S. health care costs; (2) that as the population ages, health care costs for older Americans will necessarily overwhelm and bankrupt the nation; (3) that putting limits on health care for the very old at the end of life would save Medicare significant amounts of money; (4) that aggressive hospital care for the aged is futile and the money spent is wasted; (5) that it is common for older people to receive heroic, high-tech treatments at the end of life; (6) that Medicare covers everything that older adults need in terms of their health care; (7) that if older patients had living wills or other kinds of advance directives, it would resolve dilemmas of how aggressively to provide care.
authors.affiliation: Hospice Care Network, Fresh Meadows, NY 11354, USA. cpan@hospicecarenetwork.org
authors.forename: Cynthia X
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Farber
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics*; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000191:economics; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000191:economics; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States