The relationship between educational attainment and enrollment in disability insurance programs

From James M. Poterba, Steven F. Venti, David A. Wise, "The Long Reach of Education: Health, Wealth and DI Participation:"

Between 1972 and 2012, the fraction of the population with low levels of education has declined dramatically and the fraction with higher levels of education has increased. This change in the composition of educational attainment in the population places downward pressure on disability rates. Our estimates suggest that over the past two decades, the upward pressure on DI rates arising from increasing educational disparities in health, wealth and employment has been roughly offset by the downward pressure arising from the declining fraction of the population with low levels of education.