Lauren Hersch Nicholas, PhD, MPP, is corresponding author of an investigation that analyzed the experiences of more than a million people receiving Medicare-funded services in the last six months of their lives. Co-authors from our campus are Stacy M. Fischer, MD, Marcelo Coca Perraillon, PhD, and Christine D. Jones, MD.

Nicholas and colleagues found that the kind of Medicare a patient is enrolled in can make a difference in whether that patient gets certain treatments, and whether the patient dies in a hospital or in hospice care.  “For patients near the end-of-life, Medicare Advantage incentives may reduce potentially burdensome care and encourage hospice,”  Nicholas’ paper says, “but could also restrict access to costly but necessary services.”   The School of Medicine Newsroom features an article about this research.  Read the JAMA publication>>