Utilization and charges for terminal cancer patients in Rhode Island.

A population-based sample of 2,104 terminal cancer patients who died in Rhode Island during 1980-1981 was created by merging death certificates, the claims of Medicare and non-Medicare health insurance beneficiaries served by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island, and records of the state's only hospice. The data collected included utilization and charges for services rendered by hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, physicians, and outpatient clinics. Regression analysis of charges during the last month and six months revealed significant differences for age and hospice: Six-month charges were found to be inversely related to age (+151 for each year of age), and the charges for the last month of care for decedents who received hospice care were 43.5% lower than the charges for conventional care.