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View Full Version : Diasability roles may be holding economy back



annata
05-07-2012, 08:08 AM
<snip>
Economists say part of the rise in disability claims may be due to people nearing retirement who ignored a health problem when the job market was strong, but then seek benefits when they lose their job as a bridge until they qualify for Social Security pension plans.

Yet it is not the only reason. An aging population accounted for two-thirds of the rise in claims from 2000-07 as so-called baby boomers entered their 50s and 60s, when disabilities are more common, but they have only accounted for 10 percent of growth from 2007-10.

"If you look at the people on disability, around 40 percent are in their 60s. But younger people in their 30s and in their 40s have grown a lot. That is part of what has been driving the program," said Mark Duggan, an economist at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Duggan and other economists say the major change in the growth rate stems from a series of reforms in the mid-1980s, which changed the focus of screening from medical criteria to working ability. Almost half of disability claims are for problems such as back pain and anxiety, which are more difficult to verify. This has led to thousands of new appeals filed every month before the U.S. administrative courts.

Soltes also said there are very few incentives for getting off the disability rolls, which pay an average cash benefit of $1,100 per month. While that is less than in most advanced economies, those in the United States are also provided Medicare health insurance.

"They are not encouraged to go back to work. I have gone to multiple meetings on a program called 'Ticket to Work' and there were only five people who showed up," she said.

If people do return to work, they could lose benefits such as health insurance, which further discourages some from looking, said Richard Johnson, Director of the Program on Retirement Policy at The Urban Institute in Washington.
Economists said these issues would need to be addressed to reverse the advance
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47314827/ns/business-us_business/

MMC
05-07-2012, 09:41 AM
Who was the President in the mid 1980's and till the early 90's? :grin:

Alias
05-07-2012, 10:54 AM
There were a lot of people nearing retirement age when they were laid off due to this depression. I think that is part of the rise in disability claims. I read that about a third of the applications will be approved.

Chris
05-10-2012, 06:07 AM
"They are not encouraged to go back to work. I have gone to multiple meetings on a program called 'Ticket to Work' and there were only five people who showed up," she said.

That to me is the main problem, the incentive is to take disability checks rather than work, or in many cases work minimally so as to not lose benefits.

This is a great podcast on the topic, with transcript notes: Autor on Disability (http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2012/04/autor_on_disabi.html).

Peter1469
05-10-2012, 05:07 PM
The problem is setting the benefits too high. It shouldn't be too comfortable to live on the dole.

Conley
05-10-2012, 05:17 PM
Anxiety is a disability?

Chris
05-10-2012, 07:19 PM
It can be. It can make it difficult to work in many work environment, dealing with people and such.

Far as I'm concerned people on the dole should be put to work, somewhere, somehow. Sweep streets, work at a computer at home.

Conley
05-10-2012, 07:22 PM
It can be. It can make it difficult to work in many work environment, dealing with people and such.

Far as I'm concerned people on the dole should be put to work, somewhere, somehow. Sweep streets, work at a computer at home.

Well I think most have some degree of that. You would be hard pressed to find someone so crippled by anxiety that they could't work at all. We agree on that. There are plenty of IT jobs for those who don't want the human interaction.

Chris
05-10-2012, 07:25 PM
Hey! I work in IT.

The difficult part of anxiety and other disorders is you can't prove someone is or is not disordered, so, according to that podcast I posted, the law prohibits SSI, for example, from contesting it, they must take the beneficiary's word for it.

Conley
05-10-2012, 07:27 PM
Ha! I'm an anxious guy :grin: Meant nothing bad about IT of course...

That is a really poor way to define a disorder IMO. If you can't prove someone has it, it mustn't be that debilitating.

Chris
05-10-2012, 07:44 PM
You'd think there'd be a requirement to get sign off from a psychiatrist at least. Though I'm not sure that's a profession to be trusted.

Peter1469
05-10-2012, 07:48 PM
Anxiety is a disability?

The only time in my life that I felt any anxiety was when I was about to take the Texas Bar exam. It was upsetting to feel weak. This was after combat and military training where I saw people killed in training and combat.

But as I took the Bar I realized the pattern and knew that if I failed it and had to do it again it would be easy. I saw it for the joke that it was and all anxiety left me.

Conley
05-10-2012, 07:48 PM
You'd think there'd be a requirement to get sign off from a psychiatrist at least. Though I'm not sure that's a profession to be trusted.

I hear you...there are a lot of shady docs in all specialties, usually you can get a signature if you need one (medical marijuana, steroids, etc.)

Chris
05-10-2012, 08:04 PM
There's a distinction, peter, between normal everyday anxiety and debilitating anxiety. I know people who suffer from it and they go into panic attacks that are literally uncontrollable.

dsolo802
05-10-2012, 08:13 PM
When you talk about disability you have to remember there are essentially two kinds: Worker's compensation for job-related disability, and purely private short and long term disability insurance for disabilities that are not job related. Corporate America today relies very heavily on the latter as a part of their total compensation packages.

In the case of private insurance, what is and is not covered is a simple matter of contract law.

With a private insurance claim, not work-related, disability for those professions requiring heavy intellectual lifting only is not necessarily related to stress or any mental illness. Cognitive problems can result from a host of purely physical conditions, and generally do in cases involving the more "senior" demographic.

Please try to be a little more understanding of our gray foxes, guys. There are many aspects of today's workaday world that are simply brutal, even for the very young.

Peter1469
05-10-2012, 08:14 PM
There's a distinction, peter, between normal everyday anxiety and debilitating anxiety. I know people who suffer from it and they go into panic attacks that are literally uncontrollable.

The one time I had it it was not debilitating, but it was very concerning, considering I never experienced something like that before.

Chris
05-10-2012, 08:19 PM
I get it when I go to job interviews. Going on 8 years same place and hope to retire there.

Most of the time anxiety is a plus, say I know I need to give a presentation or a deadline is approaching, it drives me to prepare and work harder.

Mister D
05-10-2012, 08:20 PM
I suffered from anxiety attacks for a brief period. It sucks. The first time is always the worst because you don't understand what's happening and you freak out which in turn makes you more anxious. You hyperventilate. Praise God it's completely gone now.

dsolo802
05-10-2012, 08:24 PM
I suffered from anxiety attacks for a brief period. It sucks. The first time is always the worst because you don't understand what's happening and you freak out which in turn makes you more anxious. You hyperventilate. Praise God it's completely gone now.Thank God. And I know it is not a trivial thing in the least. That it is not as measurable as a bad appendix in no way makes it any less real.

Peter1469
05-10-2012, 08:28 PM
I suffered from anxiety attacks for a brief period. It sucks. The first time is always the worst because you don't understand what's happening and you freak out which in turn makes you more anxious. You hyperventilate. Praise God it's completely gone now.

I was surprised when I figured out what was going on. I was studying for the bar 14 hours a day- with breaks for working out and sleeping of course. Once I saw what was happening I cut studying down to 11 hours and rested more. The entire period was only 3 months.

Mister D
05-10-2012, 08:42 PM
Thank God. And I know it is not a trivial thing in the least. That it is not as measurable as a bad appendix in no way makes it any less real.

When it manifests itself physically it really is frightening.

Mister D
05-10-2012, 08:43 PM
I was surprised when I figured out what was going on. I was studying for the bar 14 hours a day- with breaks for working out and sleeping of course. Once I saw what was happening I cut studying down to 11 hours and rested more. The entire period was only 3 months.

Long periods of stress like that will do it. Good choice. That shit takes a real toll on your body.

Conley
05-10-2012, 08:50 PM
Thank God. And I know it is not a trivial thing in the least. That it is not as measurable as a bad appendix in no way makes it any less real.

I've had terrible pull over to the side of the road panic attacks. That's not what I referring to above...what are grey foxes?

Conley
05-10-2012, 08:51 PM
When it manifests itself physically it really is frightening.

Oh definitely. I thought I was having a heart attack.

Mister D
05-10-2012, 09:00 PM
Oh definitely. I thought I was having a heart attack.

Same here.

dsolo802
05-10-2012, 09:06 PM
I've had terrible pull over to the side of the road panic attacks. That's not what I referring to above...what are grey foxes?People in the work force approaching retirement age. I could have said silver foxes but chose to go the less glamorous route.

Conley
05-10-2012, 09:07 PM
People in the work force approaching retirement age. I could have said silver foxes but chose to go the less glamorous route.

Oooh, I much prefer silver. The hair I have left is turning that color. :grin:

dsolo802
05-10-2012, 09:12 PM
Oooh, I much prefer silver. The hair I have left is turning that color. :grin:You can see my hair is still brown

I suspect aliens regularly break into my bedroom at night and apply hair dye. Otherwise, there is no other good explanation.

Oh Wait! - it could be the Obama administration? :afro:

Conley
05-10-2012, 09:16 PM
You can see my hair is still brown

I suspect aliens regularly break into my bedroom at night and apply hair dye. Otherwise, there is no other good explanation.

Oh Wait! - it could be the Obama administration? :afro:

Well clearly he's an illegal alien...so it could be both! I printed his birth certificate out on my inkjet and went over it with a magnifying glass. Obviously a forgery! :shocked: