Abstract：Objective: To find the relationship between age and medical expenditure, and to assess the influence of aging on health financing. Methods: we reviewed related papers since 2000. Results: Main findings included: (1) Elderly persons had higher per capita medical expenditure than young persons, but the gap varied among countries and from different time. (2) Higher per capital medical expenditure partly due to the effect of proximity to death, whose effect was mostly considered to be greater than age. (3) The effect of age on medical expenditure was limited comparing other factors, such as demographic characteristics, health care system and medical insurance. Conclusion: Evidences from international research showed that great emphasis should be put on the challenge of health financing. The effect on medical expenditure varied under policy, promoting prevention actions and healthy aging, developing long-term care and hospice care could decrease acute care of elderly persons.