Diseases and disability: Important factors affecting work, job-based insurance and hourly wages

This research examines the medical, functional, and individual characteristics of persons with chronic illnesses or impairments associated with work, job-based insurance and higher hourly wages. Data from the 1995 National Health Interview Survey and 1995 Disability Supplement [“NHIS-D”], were used to model and quantify the effects of illnesses, impairments, and other important factors on work, insurance and earnings of working-age persons with chronic illnesses and impairments.; This research provides evidence that there are substantial and significant effects of both physical and mental conditions, and ICIDH-2 classified impairments on work decisions. However, physical conditions, by themselves, do not have as strong an effect on access to job-based insurance or hourly wages as mental health conditions. All mental disorders strongly predict reduced work for both males and females, and many are associated with decreased wages and reduced access to job-based health insurance. Estimates of the effects of ICIDH-2 disability domains on work, wages, and health insurance, provide evidence that functional status plays an important role in work as well as wages and access to health insurance. This study also demonstrated that there is a significant, positive association between a spouse's work and a chronically ill person's work status. However, married women with chronic health problems are less likely to work when their spouses are offered health insurance. When such women do work, they earn higher wages than other married women. However, if a spouse has health insurance the effects are negative for work, but, positive for hourly wages. These findings are important to understanding the needs of persons with chronic illnesses and creating policy interventions that are tailored to their needs.