In this review, we document end-of-life medical spending: its level, composition, funding, and contribution to aggregate medical spending. We discuss how end-of-life expenses affect household behavior and economic evidence on the efficacy of medical spending at the end of life. Finally, we document recent trends in health and chronic disease at older ages and discuss what they might imply for end-of-life spending and medical spending in the aggregate.
Authors
CPP Co-Director
Eric is the Montague Burton Professor of Industrial Relations and Labour Economics at the University of Cambridge and Professor of Economics at UCL.
Senior Research Economist
Elaine works in the Public Finance and Pensions sector and she joined the IFS in 2009 and became a member of the research staff in 2011.
John Bailey Jones
Research Associate University of Bristol
Jeremy is a Research Associate at IFS and an Assistant Professor at the University of Bristol with particular interest in public economics and health.
Working Paper details
- DOI
- 10.1920/wp.ifs.2018.1818
- Publisher
- Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Suggested citation
Bailey Jones, J et al. (2018). End-of-Life Medical Expenses. London: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/end-life-medical-expenses (accessed: 30 June 2024).
Related documents
More from IFS
Understand this issue
Election Special: Your questions answered
27 June 2024
Election Special: The big issues politicians haven't spoken about
25 June 2024
Cuts to council services likely unless cost pressures abate – even with the biggest council tax increases for 20 years
21 June 2024
Policy analysis
How should we interpret parties’ public spending pledges this election?
23 June 2024
Main parties’ manifestos tell us little about the funding individual public services would actually receive
23 June 2024
How would the parties’ tax and spending plans affect Scotland and Wales?
28 June 2024
Academic research
The role of hospital networks in individual mortality
13 May 2024
A senior doctor like me: Gender match and occupational choice
24 April 2024
The consequences of miscarriage on parental investments
22 March 2024