WHAT PERCENTAGE OF WORKERS WITH WORK-RELATED ILLNESSES RECEIVE WORKERS-COMPENSATION BENEFITS

This study estimates the rate nt which workers suffering from occupati onal illnesses file for workers' compensation lost wage benefits and i dentifies some of the factors that affect the probability that a worke r with an occupational illness will file, A database of reports of kno wn or suspected cases of occupational illness is matched with workers' compensation claims data. Overall, between 9% and 45% of reported wor kers file for benefits. Data limitations prevent a ?more precise estim ate of this rate, but a large proportion of workers with occupational illnesses clearly does not utilize the worker's compensation system. L egit analysis of a choice-based sample shows that women and employees of small firms are more likely than others to file for workers' compen sation and that filing rates vary considerably across industries and d iagnostic categories, Acute conditions related to the current job are no more likely to lend to claims than chronic conditions with long lat ency periods between exposure and development of disease.