Quantifying the Health Insurance Needs of Employed and Potentially Employed Persons with Disabilities

Health insurance coverage does not fully meet the employment-related healthcare needs of employed and potentially employed persons with disabilities. Secondary health insurance to wraparound primary coverage may be a viable policy solution to meet the healthcare demands of this population. This study quantifies the employment-related needs using data from a 2014 Massachusetts survey of working-age persons with disabilities. An estimated 70 percent of workers and 67 percent of potential workers used employment-related healthcare services. Approximately 7 percent of workers and 33 percent of potential workers had an unmet need for employment-related healthcare services. The findings suggest that alleviating the unmet need for employment-related services would increase the employment of persons with disabilities.