NB21-20: Gender Differences in Disability Evaluations: Evidence from Randomly Assigned Workers’ Compensation Doctor

This project analyzes the role of evaluator gender in driving gender disparities in disability determinations, based on the random assignment of medical examiners in Texas’ workers’ compensation system. It estimates the impact of examiner gender on gender disparities in disability evaluations and subsequent benefit receipt, and it explores the mechanisms behind these effects. The project also considers whether there are differences in disability assessments associated with examiner race, and how the impact of gender match between examiners and claimants varies by examiner race.