Fifty-nine
percent of the decedents were reported to be covered by some form of
private insurance or HMO. Almost 75 percent were covered by Medicare.
Number
and percent of decedents covered by selected insurance programs: United
States, 1993
Selected
coverage programs
Number
Percent1
Standard
error of
percent
95
percent
confidence
interval
(+/- percent)
Private
insurance or HMO
1,301,000
58.7
0.9562
1.9
Medicare
1,649,000
74.4
0.7765
1.5
Medicaid
554,000
25.0
0.8355
1.6
VA
139,000
6.3
0.4500
0.9
Worker's
Compensation
37,000
1.7
0.2441
0.5
1
Percents based on 2,215,000 decedents.
NOTES: Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths
occurring in South Dakota. Standard errors are estimated using the
statistical software package SUDAAN.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data,
1993.
Of the decedents who
were reported to need but did not receive health care, one-third were
reported to have had problems paying bills. Eighteen percent were reported
to have had problems finding or getting treatment.
Number
and percent of decedents needing but not receiving health care by source
of problem: United States, 1993
Source
of problem
Number
Percent1
Standard
error of
percent
95
percent
confidence
interval
(+/- percent)
Finding
or getting into a facility
26,000
13.4
2.2999
4.5
Finding
or getting treatment
35,000
18.5
2.6125
5.1
Getting
help at home
13,000
6.6
1.4177
2.8
Paying
bills
63,000
32.8
3.0377
6.0
Transportation
16,000
8.2
1.7143
3.4
1
Percents based on 191,000 decedents needing but not receiving health
care.
NOTES: Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths
occurring in South Dakota. Standard errors are estimated using the
statistical software package SUDAAN.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data,
1993.
Almost an equal number
of decedents living at home during the last year of life were reported to
have used a hospital bed (19-percent) and/or oxygen or a device for
breathing therapy (18-percent).
Number
and percent of decedents living at home during the last year of life who
are reported to have used selected medical equipment: United States, 1993
Medical
equipment
Number
Percent1
Standard
error of
percent
95
percent
confidence
interval
(+/- percent)
Dialysis
machine
28,000
1.4
0.2584
0.5
Hospital
bed
371,000
19.3
0.8155
1.6
Blood
glucose monitor
134,000
7.0
0.5704
1.1
Protective
restraints
33,000
1.7
0.2871
0.6
Infusion
pump
68,000
3.6
0.3742
0.7
Oxygen
or device for breathing therapy
347,000
18.1
0.7908
1.5
1Percents
based on 1,918,000 decedents living at home during the last year of life.
NOTES: Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths
occurring in South Dakota. Standard errors are estimated using the
statistical software package SUDAAN.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data,
1993.
While 10 percent of the
decedents were reported to have never visited a doctor during their last
year of life, 9 percent were reported to have seen a doctor 50 or more
times.
Number
and percent distribution of decedents by number of times they were seen by
a medical doctor during the last year of life: United States, 1993
Sources
of payment
Number
Percent
Standard
error of
percent
95
percent
confidence
interval
(+/- percent)
Total
2,215,000
100.0
0.0000
0.0
Never
215,000
9.7
0.5681
1.1
1
time
64,000
2.9
0.3069
0.6
2
to 4 times
351,000
15.8
0.7361
1.4
5
to 9 times
314,000
14.2
0.7102
1.4
10
to 14 times
417,000
18.8
0.7909
1.6
15
to 24 times
265,000
12.0
0.6585
1.3
25
to 49 times
193,000
8.7
0.5529
1.1
50
times or more
194,000
8.7
0.5591
1.1
Item
nonresponse
202,000
9.1
0.5485
1.1
NOTES:
Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths
occurring in South Dakota. Figures may not add to totals due to
rounding. Standard errors are estimated using the statistical software
package SUDAAN.
SOURCES: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data,
1993.
Ten percent of the
decedents where reported to have used their own or family monies to pay
for most of their health care during the last year of life. An additional
46 percent reported Medicare as the principal source which paid for most
of their health care.
Number
and percent distribution of decedents by source which paid most of medical
expenses during the last year of life: United States, 1993
Number
of times seen by doctor
Number
Percent
Standard
error of
percent
95
percent
confidence
interval
(+/- percent)
All
sources
2,215,000
100.0
0.0000
0.0
Decedent’s
own money or savings
185,000
8.3
0.5714
1.1
Family
living with decedent
24,000
1.1
0.1745
0.3
Family
not living with decedent
13,000
0.6
0.1426
0.3
Prepaid
HMO
84,000
3.8
0.3569
0.7
Blue
Cross/Blue Shield
151,000
6.8
0.5112
1.0
Other
private health insurance
233,000
10.5
0.6153
1.2
Medicare
1,027,000
46.3
0.9973
2.0
Medicaid
239,000
10.8
0.5731
1.1
VA
60,000
2.7
0.2965
0.6
Worker’s
Compensation
5,000
0.2
0.0926
0.2
Another
government program
27,000
1.2
0.2151
0.4
Other
source
11,000
0.5
0.1273
0.2
No
payments
44,000
2.0
0.1863
0.4
Item
nonresponse
114,000
5.2
0.4356
0.9
NOTES:
Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths
occurring in South Dakota. Figures may not add to totals due to
rounding. Standard errors are estimated using the statistical software
package SUDAAN.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data,
1993.