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+----- Thread: Trends in Social Security Disability (/thread-845459.html)
Trends in Social Security Disability - arkstfan - 03-13-2018 10:01 AM
Notable findings.
1. The number of people being found disabled has declined since 2010.
2. People over age 55 are now less likely to seek and receive disability.
3. People under age 45 are less likely to receive disability compared to prior periods.
4. People 45-55 are more likely to receive disability compared to prior periods.
Link
https://www.mathematica-mpr.com/download-media?MediaItemId={7C68644E-1461-4045-BA3C-ACCDAB1DB48F}
My opinion.
Improving economy has helped.
Many people who had serious health conditions and probably would have qualified continued working until laid off in the recession. They wanted to keep their health insurance and retirement so toughed it out.
People making good money will do most anything to avoid the income loss of disability. Low wage workers, especially in rural areas where they are driving long distances to get to work, are more likely to apply because the income loss is less significant.
ACA a double-edged sword
Medicaid expansion means some people who would have been marginal candidates for disability now have medical findings to support their applications. Same token some people who would have been found disabled have received treatment and now can work. Know a guy with a hip problem who gave up and applied for disability. He ended up getting coverage under the Medicaid expansion and in short order was in the hospital getting a new hip. Finally gets his disability hearing and is denied based on the fact he no longer needed a walker or cane to get around. Finally landed a job shortly after being turned down.
45-55
This age group is whatever the opposite of a sweet spot is. Many employers won't hire in this group for unskilled and semi-skilled jobs unless there is no other option. The age when chronic problems start rearing up coupled with employer aversion makes this a group more likely to just give up and seek disability. Social Security rules make it easier to receive disability as you age. A person who is 49 with just a high school education who can't stand for most of the day may be turned down but at age 50 would be disabled.