Michael Dworsky

Senior Economist; Faculty, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in economics, Stanford University; B.A. in economics, philosophy, Williams College

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

More Experts

Overview

Michael (Misha) Dworsky is a senior economist at the RAND Corporation. His research interests are in health economics, labor economics, public finance, and the economics of insurance. His work at RAND focuses on workers’ compensation, health insurance, disability, and health care utilization. Much of his work applies quasi-experimental research designs to large administrative datasets.

Dworsky has led numerous empirical studies on workers’ compensation claims and earnings losses due to workplace injury in the State of California. Recent or ongoing studies in this line of work have addressed topics such as COVID-19, post-traumatic stress disorder in public safety workers, and the long-term economic consequences of workplace injury. Dworsky also studies a range of topics in health economics, including the effect of minimum wage increases on employer-sponsored insurance and impacts of the Affordable Care Act on hospital utilization.

His current work involves using all-payer claims databases to study disability onset and transitions from employer-sponsored insurance to Medicare among non-elderly adults, and he is contributing to RAND's evaluation of the Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model Test in Medicare Advantage. He also is leading a study on tradeoffs between equity and efficiency when using rich consumer data in insurance pricing. His research has been published in the American Economic Review, American Journal of Health Economics, Journal of Public Economics, and Health Services Research, among other outlets. Dworsky received his Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University in 2013.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

COVID-19 in the California Workers' Compensation System
Posttraumatic Stress in California's Workers' Compensation System
Does Opioid Receipt After Traumatic Injury Affect the Probability of Transition to SSDI? Evidence from the Colorado All-Payer Claims Database
Monitoring Wage Losses in the California Workers’ Compensation System
The History, Promise and Challenges of State All Payer Claims Databases

Selected Publications

Marika Cabral, Can Cui, Michael Dworsky , "The Demand for Insurance and Rationale for a Mandate: Evidence from Workers' Compensation Insurance," American Economic Review, 112(5), 2022

Michael S. Dworsky, Christine Eibner, Xiaoyu Nie, and Jeffrey B. Wenger, "The Effect of the Minimum Wage on Employer-Sponsored Insurance for Low-Income Workers and Dependents," American Journal of Health Economics, 8(1), 2022

Nicholas Broten, Michael Dworsky, David Powell, "Do temporary workers experience additional employment and earnings risk after workplace injuries?" Journal of Public Economics, 209, 2022

Michael Dworsky, Nicholas Broten, How Can Workers' Compensation Systems Promote Occupational Safety and Health? Stakeholder Views on Policy and Research Priorities, RAND Corporation (RR-2566), 2018

Quigley, Denise D., Michael Dworsky, Nabeel Qureshi, Shannon Prier, and Courtney A. Gidengil, COVID-19 in the California Workers' Compensation System: A Study of COVID-19 Claims and Presumptions Under Senate Bill 1159, Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND Corporation (RR-A1430-1), 2021

Dworsky, Michael, Stephanie Rennane, and Nicholas Broten, Earnings Losses and Benefit Adequacy in California's Workers' Compensation System: Estimates for 2005–2017 Injury Dates, RAND Corporation (RR-A964-1), 2022

Gary Pickens, Zeynal Karaca, Eli Cutler, Michael Dworsky, Christine Eibner, Brian Moore, Teresa Gibson, Sharat Iyer, Herbert S. Wong, "Changes in Hospital Inpatient Utilization Following the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Coverage Expansion," Health Services Research, 53(4), 2018

Teryl Nuckols, Craig Conlon, Michael Robbins, Michael Dworsky, Julie Lai, Carol P. Roth, Barbara Levitan, Seth Seabury, Rachana Seelam, and Steven M. Asch, "Quality of Care for Work-Associated Carpal Tunnel Syndrome," Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 59(1), 2017

Commentary

Is the Fight for $15 Going to Cost Low-Wage Workers Their Health Insurance?
Minimum wage increases can lead to reductions in employer-sponsored health insurance for some workers and their dependents. If policymakers want to raise the minimum wage, they should look beyond standard labor market outcomes and take into account other potential effects.
Oct 11, 2021 Newsweek
Can Workers' Compensation Help Businesses Reopen More Safely?
Workers' compensation typically does not cover common infectious diseases like COVID-19. But in the fight against the pandemic, state policymakers might take a fresh look at aspects of labor and business regulation that usually fade into the background and ask if modest changes hold any potential to reduce disease transmission.
Sep 9, 2020 The RAND Blog
Should COVID-19 Be Covered By Workers' Compensation? Some Considerations
Expanding workers' compensation coverage for COVID-19 could be part of a broader response to ensuring an efficient economic recovery from the pandemic. What are the potential benefits and drawbacks?
Aug 31, 2020 The RAND Blog
Can a Continuous Coverage Requirement Produce a Healthy Insurance Market?
A continuous coverage requirement is intended to discourage individuals from waiting until they become sick to purchase insurance. Such a requirement works well in theory to maintain a healthy marketplace, but there is little evidence on how well it might work in practice.
Jan 4, 2017 The Hill
3 Terrorism Risk Insurance Act Facts for Congress to Consider
With the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act set to expire this year, Congress is currently revisiting a crucial question: What is the appropriate government role in terrorism insurance markets? As the debate unfolds on Capitol Hill, policymakers should consider three key research findings.
Jun 12, 2014 U.S. News & World Report

Publications

Journal Article
Linking State Health Care Data to Inform Policymaking: Opportunities and Challenges
This report provides additional detail on the objectives of and use cases for APCDs, the current APCD landscape, and implementation challenges that constrain the use of APCDs for some valuable applications.
Jun 29, 2022
Research Brief
COVID-19's Impacts on California's Workers' Compensation System: Evaluating the Effects of Senate Bill 1159
The authors evaluated the effects of COVID-19 claims on the California workers' compensation system and on the payment of workers' compensation benefits, noting patterns created by the presumptions established by Senate Bill 1159.
May 26, 2022
Research Brief
Fit for Duty: Alternative Approaches for Determining Department of Defense Disability Compensation
RAND researchers evaluated four hypothetical alternative U.S. Department of Defense disability compensation approaches that would support a simpler disability evaluation process by reducing reliance on disability ratings.
Feb 9, 2022
Report
Earnings Losses and Benefit Adequacy in California's Workers' Compensation System: Estimates for 2005–2017 Injury Dates
This final report in a series is part of an effort to monitor wage losses of injured workers in the California workers' compensation system between 2013 and 2017. It updates estimates of trends in earnings losses reported in the interim reports.
Feb 3, 2022
Report
U.S. Department of Defense Disability Compensation Under a Fitness-for-Duty Evaluation Approach
In this report, the authors evaluate four hypothetical alternative U.S. Department of Defense disability compensation approaches that would support a simpler disability evaluation process by reducing reliance on disability ratings.
Jan 28, 2022
Report
COVID-19 and Workers' Compensation: Considerations for Policymakers
The authors examine how and why policymakers have extended workers' compensation benefits to employees who are required to work outside the home during the COVID-19 pandemic and pose questions to help policymakers meet future public health crises.
Jan 11, 2022
Report
COVID-19 in the California Workers' Compensation System: A Study of COVID-19 Claims and Presumptions Under Senate Bill 1159
The authors evaluate the effects of COVID-19 claims on the California workers' compensation system and on the payment of workers' compensation benefits, noting patterns by industry, occupation, and the presumptions established by Senate Bill 1159.
Dec 29, 2021
Research Brief
First Responder Claims for PTSD in Workers' Compensation: Assessing the Effects of Senate Bill 542 in California
Under California's Senate Bill 542, which creates a legal presumption that posttraumatic stress disorder in firefighters and peace officers is a work-related injury, additional costs to state and local governments could be large but are uncertain.
Sep 20, 2021
Report
Posttraumatic Stress in California's Workers' Compensation System: A Study of Mental Health Presumptions for Firefighters and Peace Officers Under Senate Bill 542
The authors evaluate the prevalence of mental health conditions among first responders in California and discuss policy implications, with a focus on how posttraumatic stress disorder is handled in the state's workers' compensation system.
Sep 20, 2021
Journal Article
The Effect of the Minimum Wage on Employer-Sponsored Insurance for Low-Income Workers and Dependents
Minimum wage increases lead to reductions in employer-sponsored insurance coverage in families with incomes below 300% of the federal poverty level.
Jul 28, 2021
Journal Article
Evaluation Report of the First Three Years (2017-2019) of the Medicare Advantage Value-Based Insurance Design Model Test
CMMI contracted with the RAND Corporation to evaluate the first three years of the MA VBID model test. This report serves as our second and final evaluation of the first three years of the model test.
Oct 21, 2020
Report
Wage Loss Monitoring for Injured Workers in California's Workers' Compensation System: 2016–2017 Injury Year Findings (Third Interim Report)
The authors present new estimates of wage loss for California's injured workers in 2016-2017 and compare these estimates with trends before, during, and after the Great Recession.
Feb 5, 2020
Report
The Frequency and Economic Impact of Musculoskeletal Disorders for California Firefighters: Trends and Outcomes over the Past Decade
The authors update analyses from a 2010 study on firefighters in California and consider the impacts of the 2013 workers' compensation reforms and the economic shocks of the late 2000s on outcomes for firefighters with musculoskeletal disorders.
Jan 31, 2020
Report
Industrial Cancers in California's Workers' Compensation System: Evidence on Earnings Losses and Disability Benefits
In this report, the authors conduct an empirical analysis of earnings losses, disability ratings, and benefit payments for occupational cancer claims in the California workers' compensation system.
Jan 31, 2020
Report
Wage Loss Monitoring for Injured Workers in California's Workers' Compensation System: 2014–2015 Injury Year Findings (Second Interim Report)
This report presents new estimates of wage loss for workers in California who suffered a workplace injury or illness in 2014-2015 and compares these estimates with trends before, during, and after the Great Recession.
Dec 27, 2018
Report
Wage Loss Monitoring for Injured Workers in California's Workers' Compensation System: 2013 Injury Year Findings (First Interim Report)
This report presents new estimates of wage loss for workers in California who suffered a workplace injury or illness in 2013 and compares these estimates with trends before, during, and after the Great Recession.
Aug 31, 2018
Report
How Can Workers' Compensation Systems Promote Occupational Safety and Health? Stakeholder Views on Policy and Research Priorities
A report from RAND explores the views of key workers' compensation stakeholders. The study presents challenges and priorities to be addressed in reforming workers' compensation systems to promote occupational safety and the well-being of workers.
Aug 31, 2018
Report
Evaluation of the Return-to-Work Fund in California's Workers' Compensation System: Performance to Date and Options for Modification
California's Return-to-Work Supplement Program provides a $5,000 payment to some workers who cannot return to work after a permanently disabling workplace injury. RAND researchers evaluated program performance and identified options for improvement.
Jun 20, 2018
Journal Article
Quality of Care and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Prospective Observational Study
Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome who receive necessary care, including surgery and activity assessment and management, have better outcomes.
Feb 13, 2018
Research Brief
How Might Veterans and the VA Health System Be Affected by Repeal of the Affordable Care Act?
The American Health Care Act would increase uninsurance among veterans and demand for Department of Veterans Affairs care by a greater margin than simply returning to pre-Affordable Care Act levels of coverage.
Sep 14, 2017
Report
Veterans' Health Insurance Coverage Under the Affordable Care Act and Implications of Repeal for the Department of Veterans Affairs
This report describes the Affordable Care Act's effects on nonelderly veterans' insurance coverage and demand for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and assesses the coverage and VA utilization changes that could result from repeal.
Sep 14, 2017
Journal Article
Using All-Payer Claims Databases to Study Insurance and Health Care Utilization Dynamics
Switching insurance tends to be followed by an immediate spike in visits with new primary care and specialist physicians.
Aug 23, 2017
Journal Article
Quality of Care for Work-Associated Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Over 80 percent of a regional system's occupational clinics adhered to recommended care processes for Carpal tunnel syndrome, and differences in care quality were associated more with clinical factors than patient socioeconomics and demographics.
Jul 18, 2017
Report
The Effect of the 2014 Medicaid Expansion on Insurance Coverage for Newly Eligible Childless Adults
The authors used the National Health Interview Survey to estimate how the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion affected health insurance enrollment, by source of coverage, among childless adults who became newly eligible for Medicaid in 2014.
Dec 29, 2016
Journal Article
Assessing the Value of High-Quality Care for Work-Associated Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in a Large Integrated Health Care System: Study Design
Demonstrating an association between higher quality care for work-associated carpal tunnel syndrome and both clinical outcomes and costs could spur more effective policies.
Oct 31, 2016
Report
Benefits and Earnings Losses for Permanently Disabled Workers in California: Trends Through the Great Recession and Effects of Recent Reforms
Following California's major reforms to the state workers' compensation system, RAND researchers assess trends in earnings loss and permanent partial disability benefits before the reforms, as well as how the reforms might affect injury compensation.
Sep 27, 2016
Research Brief
California's 2012 Workers' Compensation Reforms Helped Replace Wages and Offset Earnings Losses After the Great Recession
Workers' compensation reforms (Senate Bill 863) have likely increased wage replacement rates for permanently disabled Californians by 21.4 percentage points since 2012. The bill is helping to offset the recession's lasting effects on earnings losses.
Sep 27, 2016
Draft
Benefits and Earnings Losses for Permanently Disabled Workers in California: Trends Through the Great Recession and Impacts of Recent Reforms
Provides evidence on how reforms to California's state workers‘ compensation system have affected disability ratings and benefits and compares Permanent Partial Disability benefits to the earnings losses experienced by permanently disabled workers.
Feb 11, 2016
Report
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Workers' Compensation Leaders Research Colloquium, December 11, 2014: Proceedings
This report summarizes the proceedings of a colloquium to elicit input from key occupational safety and health and workers' compensation stakeholders to help the Center for Workers' Compensation Studies maximize the impact of its research activities.
Aug 18, 2015
Report
Human Resource Practices for Labor Inspectorates in Developing Countries
This review highlights the state of knowledge about the conditions, competencies, and incentives needed for labor inspectors in developing countries to successfully carry out their work.
Dec 15, 2014
Report
The Future of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act
Recounts the proceedings of a conference to discuss recent RAND research on issues related to the potential reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, as well as the varying implications of TRIA's expiration, modification, and extension.
Sep 2, 2014
Report
The Impact on Workers' Compensation Insurance Markets of Allowing the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act to Expire
Examines how markets for workers' compensation insurance would be affected if the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act were allowed to expire.
May 7, 2014