The Impact of COVID-19 on Granted Disability Insurances and Related Costs for Workers with Cancer: A Time Series Study in Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on disability insurance grants and related costs for workers with cancer.

METHODS: This ecological time series study uses the inflection point regression model and the federal government's open-access dataset. We analyze the annual grant and cost rates of cancer-related disability insurance in Brazil (2010-2021).

RESULTS: In 2020, the number of disability insurance grants due to malignant neoplasms decreased by 62.26%, and the total annual cost decreased by 62.94% compared to 2019. All illnesses and injuries were reduced by 2.56% and 20.02%, respectively. Between 2010 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has reversed the increasing trend in annual disability insurance granted due to cancer and its associated expenses to a stable trend.

CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has harmed the provision of disability insurance for workers with cancer.