Costs in the Last Year of Life in the Netherlands

The costs of health care in the last year of life are a subject of debate and myth. Expensive interventions at the end of life often are blamed for the rapid increase in health care spending, but evidence about the existence of such exceptionally high expenditures at the end of life is rare and faulty. This investigation examines the development and composition of health care costs at the end of life for all age groups in The Netherlands. In contrast with earlier studies, this research analyzes both acute care (cure) and long-term care (care) costs. As an alternative for the frequently used co... Mehr ...