OBJECTIVES:

The aim of the study is to estimate the number of beneficiaries of disability benefits and the relative costs for chronic-degenerative pathologies (CDP). Furthermore, we analyze the demographic structure of the people who receiving for the first time a disability benefit as well as the association between the number of disability insurance awards (DIA) and the aging working population.

METHODS:

We analysed the database about the DIA and the mean cost for benefit of the National Institute of Social Security (INPS) for three types of social security benefits: incapacity pensions (for people without work ability), disability pensions and disability benefits (for people with reduced work ability). Also, we collected data for sex and age for the main groups of chronic-degenerative diseases.

RESULTS:

The model estimated for CDP a mean yearly cost for disability pensions from 2009 to 2015 of €4.7 billion with a decrease from 2009 to 2015 of 41.2%; a mean yearly cost of €2.4 billion with an increase of 34.1% for disability benefits and a mean cost of €856 million with an increase of 25.4% for incapacity pension. Age-specific rates of the older ages shows significant increases in all the period.A comparison of standardized rates reveals that demographic changes in the considered period have had a strong impact on the trend of the DIA, particularly for musculoskeletal disorders and cancer (CA).

CONCLUSIONS:

The most important indirect costs in Italy from 2009 to 2015 was represented by disability pensions (59% of the total cost), followed by disability benefits (29% of total indirect cost). Analysis and elaborations show a general tendency to increase the number of DIA between 1995 and 2015, particularly for CA. Both groups include highly disabling diseases that may continue to grow due to the population aging and absorb a growing amount of economic resources from the social security system.