Author Archives

David Cutler, PhD, is the Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics, Department of Economics and Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

• JAMA Forum: Social Status and Health: A Coming Issue for Physicians

  By David Cutler, PhD on April 17, 2013

  

  “The rich are different from you and me. They have more money,” a cynic once noted. The modern-day version would add a deeply troubling observation: and they live longer too. The gap in life expectancy between the better off and… Read More ›

• The JAMA Forum: A Prescription for Washington’s Mood Disorder

  By David Cutler, PhD on January 29, 2013

  

  Protagonists struggling with bipolar disorder are all the rage in television, movies, and the theatre. From Central Intelligence Agency officer Carrie Mathison in Homeland, to former teacher Pat Solitano in Silver Linings Playbook, to suburban mother Diana Goodman in the… Read More ›

• JAMA Forum — The Future of Health Care Becomes Clearer: The Obama Approach Wins

  By David Cutler, PhD on November 7, 2012

  

  The 2012 Presidential race was the most important election for health care the country has ever experienced. In no other election has the repeal of a single law loomed as large as Romney’s promise to rescind the Affordable Care Act… Read More ›

• JAMA Forum — The First Debate: Adjudicating Health Care

  By David Cutler, PhD on October 4, 2012

  

   By David Cutler, PhD The first debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney is now a matter of record. Most pundits appear to have concluded that Romney won on style; I have little basis to judge that. But I can… Read More ›

• JAMA Forum — The Republican Ticket: Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, and the Magic Asterisk

  By David Cutler, PhD on August 29, 2012

  

  The press has focused a lot on the similarities between Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. They are both technocratic, they espouse tax cuts, and they believe in a balanced budget. But there is a deeper similarity as well: they both… Read More ›

• JAMA Forum: The Battle for Control of Medical Care

  By David Cutler, PhD on July 25, 2012

  

  Findings from a study reported just last week have major implications for the future of medical care. The study evaluated a new payment model called the Alternative Quality Contract (AQC), devised by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Unlike payment… Read More ›

• JAMA Forum — The Health Care Law Stands: Now What?

  By David Cutler, PhD on June 28, 2012

  

  The Supreme Court has decided the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is constitutional. Their reasoning was tortured, but they got to the right answer. This is very good news. We now have a law passed by Congress, signed by the President,… Read More ›

• JAMA Forum — Mitt Romney: Physicians Should Be Like Car Salesmen

  By David Cutler, PhD on June 20, 2012

  

  Mitt Romney gave a speech about health care last week. We all know he is in favor of repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This speech, which laid out his ideas for its replacement, didn’t get a lot of attention…. Read More ›

• JAMA Forum: Mitt Romney on Health Care: No, We Can’t

  By David Cutler, PhD on April 27, 2012

  

  Now that Mitt Romney is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, it is worth paying more attention to his health care proposals. Governor Romney has said many things about health care—mostly negative. He wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA),… Read More ›

• JAMA Forum: The Supreme Court Flunks Economics—and That’s Bad News for Patients and Physicians

  By David Cutler, PhD on March 29, 2012

  

  This week, we were treated to the spectacle of the US Supreme Court debating economics. They called it a discussion about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but it was more economic than legal. They spent an enormous amount of time… Read More ›