By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    magnesium water can be good for your health but you can't have too much
    Is Drinking Magnesium Water Good for Your Health?
    October 17, 2023
    common misconseptions about brain injuries
    4 Common Myths and Misunderstandings About Brain Injuries
    February 5, 2023
    get a career in medical device sales
    What Are the Benefits of Attending Medical Sales College?
    April 10, 2023
    Latest News
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Elective Coronary Stenting: A Case in Context
    August 3, 2011
    PSA screening: Does It or Doesn’t It?
    March 16, 2012
    Rick Perry Needs To Make Up His Mind
    September 19, 2011
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Study: Many Medicare Beneficiaries Obtain Surgeries in Last Year of Life
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Study: Many Medicare Beneficiaries Obtain Surgeries in Last Year of Life
Policy & Law

Study: Many Medicare Beneficiaries Obtain Surgeries in Last Year of Life

MichaelDouglas1
MichaelDouglas1
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

A new study out of Harvard finds that approximately a third of all Medicare beneficiaries in the last year of life chose to have a major surgical procedure. The operative (excuse the pun) issue here is whether such timed, elective surgeries are necessary — implying a possible increase in life expectancy. Problem is, no one knows when the beneficiary will die.

A new study out of Harvard finds that approximately a third of all Medicare beneficiaries in the last year of life chose to have a major surgical procedure. The operative (excuse the pun) issue here is whether such timed, elective surgeries are necessary — implying a possible increase in life expectancy. Problem is, no one knows when the beneficiary will die.

By analyzing Medicare claims data the study authors found that, in a group of almost 2 million elderly beneficiaries, all of whom died in 2008, almost one-third had inpatient surgery in the year before they died, almost one in five in the last month of their lives and almost one in 10 in the week before they took their last breath.

The study itself is a good lesson in who exactly “benefits” in these cases. As futile as these findings may sound, there is no question that any procedure done within FFS Medicare coverage remains a reimbursement cache for the provider and hospital, crudely suggesting a financial incentive. While this scenario is entirely possible, it really doesn’t seem to be the impetus for the study’s findings, in my humble opinion. Besides being reflective of a cynical and laconic way of approaching the study’s results, it really makes no sense in a healthcare delivery system increasingly focused on positive outcomes (read: anything but mortality or unacceptable morbidity). The study, however, does usher in the need to discuss the perennial issue of quality of life versus the “appropriateness” of acute surgical treatment among consenting patients with significant chronic illness.

Related posts:

More Read

addiction and car accidents
The Role Addiction Plays in Increasing the Risk of Traffic Accidents
VIVUS, Inc., Presses the Case for Obesity Drug Qnexa, Market Success
MACRA and the Medicare Payment Reform Juggernaut
Person-Centered HealthCare: Cost Transparency Helps Patients Shop For Medical Care
Here’s How Augmented Reality For Healthcare Can Create Major Benefits
  1. Study: Screening Mammograms Underutilized in Insured Women With research findings such as this, is it any wonder…
  2. Hospitals to Face HAI Reporting Requirements Hospitals that accept Medicare funding will eventually have to report…
  3. Medicare to Reimburse Voluntary Physician Counseling of End-of-Life Care Remember the “death panels” the GOP and other right-wing pundits…

 

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
Global Healthcare Policy & Law
July 17, 2025
paramedics in surgical gloves and masks
How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
Health care
July 16, 2025
a woman giving a key
How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
Health
July 16, 2025
a woman with kinesio tapes on her back arm
How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
Health care
July 16, 2025

You Might also Like

healthcare costs highest in usa monopoly factor
BusinessPolicy & Law

Why US Healthcare Costs So Much More – it’s the Monopoly Factor

March 11, 2012

If Airlines Were Run Like Healthcare – Video

July 10, 2011

HIPAA Privacy and Security Compliance: Should You Care?

April 18, 2014
healthcare business
Health careMedical Innovations

Never Run Out of Patients: How SEO Fuels Consistent Growth for Medical Practices

April 4, 2024
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?