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STATE
STATS |
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New Jersey Ranks First in the Nation in Medicare Spending for Chronically Ill During Last Two Years of Life, 2006
Source: Dartmouth Atlas of Healthcare 2006
* See below for a commentary on how these statistics can affect your business
Rank |
State |
Amount |
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Rank |
State |
Amount |
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1 |
NEW JERSEY
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$39,810 |
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26 |
Nebraska
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$25,838 |
2 |
California
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$38,573 |
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27 |
North Carolina |
$25,829 |
3 |
New York |
$38,369 |
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28 |
Kansas
|
$25,740 |
4 |
Maryland |
$36,337 |
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29 |
Arkansas
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$25,724 |
5 |
Hawaii |
$33,518 |
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30 |
New Hampshire
|
$25,706 |
6 |
Connecticut
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$32,636 |
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31 |
Mississippi
|
$25,705 |
7 |
Massachusetts
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$31,985 |
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32 |
Missouri
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$25,681 |
8 |
Alaska
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$31,957 |
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33 |
Oregon |
$25,509 |
9 |
Illinois
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$31,197 |
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34 |
Virginia
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$25,435 |
10 |
Florida
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$29,604 |
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35 |
Alabama
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$25,344 |
11 |
Rhode Island
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$29,028 |
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36 |
Oklahoma
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$25,227 |
12 |
Pennsylvania
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$28,487 |
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37 |
Maine |
$25,196 |
13 |
Texas |
$28,466 |
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38 |
Wisconsin |
$25,343 |
14 |
Delaware
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$28,450 |
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39 |
Wyoming |
$25,173 |
15 |
Michigan
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$28,427 |
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40 |
Montana |
$25,056 |
16 |
Nevada
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$27,950 |
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41 |
Kentucky |
$25,012 |
17 |
Arizona
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$27,843 |
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42 |
Ohio
|
$25,005 |
18 |
Washington
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$27,698 |
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43 |
New Mexico
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$24,616 |
19 |
Minnesota
|
$27,411 |
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44 |
South Dakota
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$24,072 |
20 |
South Carolina
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$27,095 |
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45 |
Utah
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$23,936 |
21 |
Vermont
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$27,050 |
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46 |
Indiana
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$23,874 |
22 |
Louisiana
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$26,830 |
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47 |
North Dakota |
$23,855 |
23 |
Tennessee |
$26,464 |
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48 |
West Virginia
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$23,789 |
24
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Georgia
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$26,267 |
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49 |
Iowa
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$23,746 |
25 |
Colorado |
$25,888 |
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50 |
Idaho |
$23,697 |
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50 State Average
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$27,826 |
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N.J. % Above Average |
43% |
View all State Stats |
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. A CLOSER LOOK |
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NJ'S MEDICARE SPENDING FOR CHRONICALLY ILL PATIENTS DURING THE LAST TWO YEARS OF LIFE IS THE HIGHEST IN THE NATION
New Jersey's Medicare spending for chronically ill patients during the last two years of their life is ranked as the highest in the country, according to a study by the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care. Although New Jersey on average spends more per patient than any other state, patient care has not been shown to be significantly better than state's who spend as much as 40% less. The study did not find any correlation between high spending rates and increased life expectancies or improved quality of life for patients. In fact, state's who spent the most � New Jersey, the District of Columbia, California, New York, and Maryland � had higher mortality rates and lower patient quality of life marks. Researchers attributed the inverse relationship to more medical mistakes. This is because more frequent physician visits, longer hospital stays, and increased use of specialists causing fragmented care and poor communication can actually increase error.
Not only are costs the highest, but New Jersey's patients had the most doctor visits in the last six months of their lives � 41.5 contrasted with Utah's 17� and had more patients die in intensive care units than in any other state. Also the highest in the nation, of all chronically ill patients in the state, 38.7% saw 10 or more physicians during the last six months of their lives compared with only 10.8% in Wyoming. New Jersey patients also spent nearly twice as many days in the hospital � 15.2 � when compared with the lowest states while fewer patients were enrolled in hospice when compared with the national average.
In response to the report New Jersey Health Commissioner Fred Jacobs echoed the need to reform the efficiency of hospitals in New Jersey. �We can't say our patients are sicker. That won't fly. We can't say this is because we have too many specialists. That's part of the problem�We are notoriously inefficient and we have to look at not just the hospital process but the medical staff process.� *
Nationally, concern is growing among medical researchers about the way chronic illness is managed. Because there is no consensus based on medical science guiding decisions about the use of resources in managing patients with severe chronic illness, the extent and degree of treatments vary widely from hospital to hospital. Nonetheless, the report suggests that many chronically ill and dying Americans across the country are receiving overly aggressive care during the last months of their lives.
* �End-of-life care in N.J. is priciest but not best,� Carol Ann Campbell, Star-Ledger, May 17, 2006 Source: Dartmouth Atlas of Healthcare 2006, the Center for Evaluative Clinical Sciences Dartmouth Medical School |
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NJ
PRO Foundation, Inc.
102 West State St.
Trenton, NJ 08608-1199
609-393-7707 |
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