Work

How Health Care Providers Are Contributing to the Iatrogenic Disability Crisis in the United States

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides monthly payments to qualified people with impairments that prevent or limit the ability to work for one year or more or will result in death. Benefit payments from the SSDI trust fund, from which benefits are paid to disabled workers, their spouses, and children, increased by 5.8% from $143.6 billion in 2022 to $151.9 billion in 2023.1 In an effort to reduce disability costs, the United States Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy embarked on a research program to promote closer coordination among individuals and organizations who influence workers’ decisions about how or whether to stay at or return to work following a physical or mental impairment resulting in disability.

Source: Mayo Clinic Proceedings

DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2025.08.021

Authors: Clayton T. Cowl, Samantha Westphal, Tammy Green, Laura E. Breeher

Institution: Mayo Clinic

Language: English

Topic: Retirement, Disability, and Employment

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Decent work and economic growth, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,900