The National Bureau of Economic Research has released a new report tracking the demographic differences in the use of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) among American workers.
Currently, the Social Security Administration (SSA) does not include racial or ethnic information in its public-access databases. However, the research team was able to examine race and ethnicity data through examining Medicare records, as SSDI recipients can qualify for Medicare benefits after a two-year waiting period.
After cross-referencing SSA and Medicare records, the report authors found that Black Americans enter the SSDI program at significantly higher rates than White, Hispanic, and Asian Americans. Black adults are 1.5 to 2 times more likely than White Americans, and 4 to 5 times more likely than Asian Americans to receive SSDI benefits.
Furthermore, the authors found that Black Americans have the lowest average health status among all SSDI recipients. According to the report, Black Americans spend roughly 40 percent more on medical care than White and Asian Americans.
