Medicare Hospice Spending Hit $15.8 Billion In 2015, Varied By Locale, Diagnosis

Between 2007 and 2015, Medicare hospice spending rose by 52 percent, from $10.4 billion to $15.8 billion. The rise was driven primarily by an increase in the number of patients in hospice care. Medicare spending on hospice care was $642 million, or 4.2 percent, higher in 2015 than it was in 2014. Spending and spending growth varied by geographic region and diagnosis.