Notes
2Studies on costs at the end of life by van Acht and Stooker[11] and Stooker et al.[12] report that the assumption of high costs at the end of life does not hold true in the Netherlands, except for long-term care. This interpretation is contested by Scuffham and Taylor.[13] In a debate on euthanasia, they argue that, under private funding, it is conceivable that a patient could be kept alive against his/her will, whereas the opposite could happen in a public system.[13] There is no evidence on this matter to date.
Our study found that hospital costs incurred in the 3 months prior to death represent 70–80% of all hospital costs over the last year of life, with the exception of the last group, aged 90–99 years. For this group, hospital costs represent only 57% of the overall costs.
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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organisation. No sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this opinion piece. The author has no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this opinion piece.
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Outreville, J.F. Healthcare expenditure and ageing. Appl Health Econ Health Policy 3, 121–123 (2004). https://doi.org/10.2165/00148365-200403030-00001
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00148365-200403030-00001