Objective To identify the factors influencing hospitalization expenses among deceased patients.Methods We extracted medical record data of patients who died during hospitalization between 2020 and 2023.Descriptive statistics and quantile regression models were employed to analyze hospitalization costs.Results Younger age,longer hospital stays,and a greater number of diagnosed diseases were generally associated with higher hospitalization expenses.However,at the 90th percen-tile,a higher disease burden was correlated with reduced financial burden.Compared to emergency admissions,outpatient admis-sions demonstrated a negative association with costs below the 50th percentile.Medical insurance coverage showed a shifting im-pact:its effect on total hospitalization expenses transitioned from positive to negative as costs increased,while its influence on out-of-pocket expenses remained positive and strengthened progressively.Conclusion Our findings indicate that:①Older age is significantly associated with lower end-of-life medical expenses;②Longer hospitalization and greater disease complexity contribute to increased medical costs;③Admission route and disease severity are fundamental determinants of expenses,with planned out-patient admissions showing cost containment advantages,while clinical complexity remains the primary driver of high costs;④The protective function of medical insurance payment mechanisms may involve elements of supplier-induced demand and potential overutilization of medical services.

Objective To identify the factors influencing hospitalization expenses among deceased patients.Methods We extracted medical record data of patients who died during hospitalization between 2020 and 2023.Descriptive statistics and quantile regression models were employed to analyze hospitalization costs.Results Younger age,longer hospital stays,and a greater number of diagnosed diseases were generally associated with higher hospitalization expenses.However,at the 90th percen-tile,a higher disease burden was correlated with reduced financial burden.Compared to emergency admissions,outpatient admis-sions demonstrated a negative association with costs below the 50th percentile.Medical insurance coverage showed a shifting im-pact:its effect on total hospitalization expenses transitioned from positive to negative as costs increased,while its influence on out-of-pocket expenses remained positive and strengthened progressively.Conclusion Our findings indicate that:①Older age is significantly associated with lower end-of-life medical expenses;②Longer hospitalization and greater disease complexity contribute to increased medical costs;③Admission route and disease severity are fundamental determinants of expenses,with planned out-patient admissions showing cost containment advantages,while clinical complexity remains the primary driver of high costs;④The protective function of medical insurance payment mechanisms may involve elements of supplier-induced demand and potential overutilization of medical services.