Medicare Spending for Breast, Prostate, Lung, and Colorectal Cancer Patients in the Year of Diagnosis and Year of Death

Health Serv Res. 2018 Aug;53(4):2118-2132. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12745. Epub 2017 Jul 26.

Abstract

Objective: To characterize spending patterns for Medicare patients with incident breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer.

Data sources/study setting/study design: 2007-2012 data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program linked with Medicare fee-for-service claims.

Data collection/extraction methods: We calculate per-patient monthly and yearly mean and median expenditures, by cancer type, stage at diagnosis, and spending category, over the years of diagnosis and death.

Principal findings: Over the year of diagnosis, mean spending was $35,849, $26,295, $55,597, and $63,063 for breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer, respectively. Over the year of death, spending was similar across different cancer types and stage at diagnosis.

Conclusions: Characterization of Medicare spending according to clinically meaningful categories may assist development of oncology alternative payment models and cost-effectiveness models.

Keywords: Medicare; Oncology; alternative payment model.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Breast Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Breast Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Fee-for-Service Plans
  • Female
  • Health Expenditures / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Lung Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Male
  • Medicare / economics*
  • Medicare / statistics & numerical data
  • Middle Aged
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / mortality*
  • SEER Program / statistics & numerical data
  • United States / epidemiology