Affiliations: West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA | Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA,
USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Carolyn E. Hawley, Ph.D., West
Virginia University, 504-H Allen Hall, PO Box 6122, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
Tel.: +1 1304 293 3807; E-mail: Carolyn. Hawley@mail.wvu.edu
Abstract: Progression of Disability Benefits (PODB) refers to the migration of
workers with work-limiting disabilities through a system of economic disability
benefits that result in their ultimate placement into the Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI) system [16]. Specifically, this migration involves
a "progression" from short-term disability (STD) to long-term disability (LTD)
to SSDI income. This project uses Chi-squared Automatic Interaction (CHAID)
Technique to study the Healthcare industry, the largest industry in the United
States, and its PODB experience. The first part of the study analyzes if
claimant demographic (age, gender, disability type) and PODB data (movement
from STD to LTD to SSDI) can be used to predict employer industry (dependent
variable). Gender was the most significant predictor, while men working outside
of Healthcare had the greatest amount of progression to advanced disability
levels. The second part of the study assesses if the PODB experience could be
predicted through claimant demographics and the sub-set industry within
Healthcare in which claimants' were employed. The resulting dendogram reveals
that disability type was the strongest predictor of claimant movement through
disability benefits levels. Age was the second strongest predictor for all but
1 category of disability type, in which the Healthcare sector was the strongest
predictor.
Keywords: Health, disability, workplace, progression of disability benefits
