Author Archives
David Cutler, PhD, is the Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics, Department of Economics and Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
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JAMA Forum: Gearing Up for the Health Care Debate
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 ›
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JAMA Forum: Health and Taxes
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 ›
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JAMA Forum: Who Would the Presidential Candidates Pick to Head Key Health Agencies?
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 ›
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JAMA Forum: Building a Better Health Care System: the Work Ahead
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 ›
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JAMA Forum: Campaign Wars: Health Policy in a Fantasy World
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 ›
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JAMA Forum: Insurers Are Once Again At Odds With Hospitals and Physicians
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 ›
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JAMA Forum: The SGR Is Dead, but the Pressure on Physicians Is Not
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 ›