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Disability Insurance and the Dynamics of the Incentive-Insurance Tradeoff

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  • Hamish Low
  • Luigi Pistaferri

Abstract

We provide a lifecycle framework for comparing the insurance value and the incentive cost of disability benefits. We estimate the risks that individuals face and the parameters governing the disability insurance program using longitudinal US data on consumption, health, disability insurance, and wages. We characterize the economic effects of disability insurance and study how policy reforms impact behavior and household welfare. Disability insurance is characterised by high rejections rates of disabled applicants; acceptances of healthy applicants is less widespread. Welfare increases as: (1) the program becomes less strict, reducing rejection rates among the disabled, despite the worsening of incentives; (2) generosity is reduced or reassessments increased because false applications decline; (3) the generosity of unconditional means-tested benefits is increased.

Suggested Citation

  • Hamish Low & Luigi Pistaferri, 2014. "Disability Insurance and the Dynamics of the Incentive-Insurance Tradeoff," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1420, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    • Handle: RePEc:cam:camdae:1420
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    disability; social security; savings behavior; wage risk;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies

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