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: Gearing Up for the Health Care Debate

  By David Cutler, PhD on December 14, 2016

  

  A new administration is coming to Washington, promising yet another health care reform. Although the debate over health policy will surely be more unpredictable with President-elect Trump than it has been with most other politicians, that does not mean it… Read More ›

• JAMA Forum: Health and Taxes

  By David Cutler, PhD on September 28, 2016

  

  Health care shows up on the political agenda in 2 very different ways, as a social issue and a budget issue. These 2 views prompt very different sets of questions and also shape how the 2 major political parties focus… Read More ›

• JAMA Forum: Who Would the Presidential Candidates Pick to Head Key Health Agencies?

  By David Cutler, PhD on June 29, 2016

  

  I normally pay close attention to the health care proposals of Presidential candidates. I scrutinize the details of their positions and ferret out their vision for the nation’s health system. This election is different. While proposals still intrigue me, I… Read More ›

• JAMA Forum: Building a Better Health Care System: the Work Ahead

  By David Cutler, PhD on March 30, 2016

  

  Here are 4 health care proposals that have been made by politicians running for office. How many do you agree with? 1. “[Health care reform] should expand competition in the marketplace, it should empower consumers and patients to make healthcare… Read More ›

• JAMA Forum: Campaign Wars: Health Policy in a Fantasy World

  By David Cutler, PhD on November 23, 2015

  

  Watching national health reform debates reminds me of a night at the movies. On the one hand, there are true-life stories like “Apollo 13,” that profile actual people and the problems they face. And then there are the fantasies, like… Read More ›

• JAMA Forum: Insurers Are Once Again At Odds With Hospitals and Physicians

  By David Cutler, PhD on August 26, 2015

  

  The longest running battle in medical care is heating up again. I refer, of course, to the struggle between insurers and physicians, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. In recent weeks, Aetna and Humana announced their intention to merge, as did Anthem… Read More ›

• JAMA Forum: The SGR Is Dead, but the Pressure on Physicians Is Not

  By David Cutler, PhD on May 13, 2015

  

  The Sustainable Growth Rate formula used to determine physician payments in Medicare has died, and not a tear was shed at the funeral. Because the SGR, as it was known, linked the growth in physician payments to the rate of… Read More ›