Hospice care

Many people are familiar with this way of caring for the dying, but misconceptions abound.

The modern hospice movement began in Britain, but "going into hospice" has become an increasingly American way to die, despite this country's love affair with expensive medical technology. The number of Medicare beneficiaries receiving hospice services doubled between 2000 and 2005 (the last year for which figures are readily available), and Medicare spending on hospice services tripled in that time.

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