Health-Care Utilization as a Proxy in Disability Determination

The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers two programs that provide benefits based on disability: the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. This report analyzes health care utilizations as they relate to impairment severity and SSA's definition of disability. Health Care Utilization as a Proxy in Disability Determination identifies types of utilizations that might be good proxies for "listing-level" severity; that is, what represents an impairment, or combination of impairments, that are severe enough to prevent a person from doing any gainful activity, regardless of age, education, or work experience. Table of Contents Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction 2 Factors That Affect Health-Care Utilization 3 Changing Patterns of Health Insurance and Health-Care Delivery 4 Health-Care Utilizations as Proxies for Listing-Level Severity 5 Proxies for Determining Listing-Level Severity Appendix A: Health-Care Utilizations Appendix B: Evidence Review Strategy Appendix C: Literature Review - Report Summaries by Body System Glossary