WV HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF DISABLED WORKERS

(09/08/2010)

West Virginia has the highest disability rate in the nation. Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, attributes West Virginia's high rate of disabled workers to smoking and other poor health habits. Foster points to the high rate of diabetes, chronic lung disease, congestive heart failure and cancer, while others point to occupations that lead to high disability rates. The Social Security Administration just released a report that says 5 percent of West Virginia's population is considered as disabled workers, the highest percentage in the nation. "We have an unhealthy population," Foster said. A report released in July by the Congressional Budget Office said that when jobs are plentiful, some people who could qualify for disability choose to work. When jobs are scarce, some of those people turn to the disability program. Critics of the system say many individuals take advantage of a system that declares disability, although qualifying for disability is a laborious process.

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