title: Earnings and Financial Compensation from Social Security Systems Correlate Strongly with Disability for Multiple Sclerosis Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients earn lower incomes and receive higher benefits. However, there is limited knowledge of how this is correlated with their disability.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate sources and levels of income among MS patients with different disability, assessed with the Expanded Disability Status Scale.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 7929 MS patients aged 21-64 years and living in Sweden in 2010 were identified for this cross-sectional study. Descriptive statistics, logistic and truncated linear regression models were used to estimate differences between MS patients regarding earnings, disability pension, sickness absence, disability allowance, unemployment compensation, and social assistance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average level of earnings was ten times lower and the average level of health- related benefits was four times higher when comparing MS patients with severe and mild disability. MS patients with severe disability had on average SEK 166,931 less annual income from earnings and SEK 54,534 more income from benefits compared to those with mild disability. The combined average income for MS patients was 35% lower when comparing patients in the same groups. The adjusted risk ratio for having earnings among MS patients with severe disability compared to the patients with mild disability was 0.33 (95% CI 0.29-0.39), while the risk ratio for having benefits was 1.93 (95% CI 1.90-1.94).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Disease progression affects the financial situation of MS patients considerably. Correlations between higher disability and patient income were observed, suggesting that earnings and benefits could be used as measures of MS progression and proxies of disability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Andrius
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kavaliunas
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.|Department of analysis and prognosis, Swedish Social Insurance Agency, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.|Red Cross University College, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Petter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tinghög
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gyllensten
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alexanderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hillert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D006801:Humans; D007342:Insurance Benefits / Q000191:economics* / Q000639:trends*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000639:trends*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012943:Social Security; D013548:Sweden; D055815:Young Adult