David Cutler
Encyclopedia
David Matthew Cutler is Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics at Harvard University
. He holds a joint appointment in the economics department and in Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard School of Public Health
. He graduated from Harvard College, summa cum laude, with a degree in Economics, and then joined the Harvard faculty after receiving his Ph.D. in Economics
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in 1991. He served in the administration of Bill Clinton
and was senior health care advisor to Barack Obama
. From 2003-2008 Cutler was Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for Social Sciences.
While his work on health economics covers a broad range of subtopics, he is particularly notable for his work on the value of the health care system as a whole. Much of his work argues that the United States has realized good "bang for its buck" by any reasonable measure of the value of a statistical year of life in good health. That is, while health care is extremely expensive, we also place a very high value on documentable health gains. He also argues that we could gain considerably more health for the dollar if reimbursement for care could be tied to the health value of the service instead of the intensity of the service. See his book Your Money or Your Life for a good introduction to David Cutler's views on the United States health care system. The book and Cutler's ideas were the subject of an article in the New York Times Magazine titled The Quality Cure.
Additionally, Cutler's 2003 "Why have Americans become more obese?" discusses rising obesity as an outcome of the revolution in mass food packaging. He includes vacuum packing, improved preservatives, deep freezing, and microwaves as culprits. Consumer prices on items like various frozen foods, soda, and potato chips are increasing at half the rate of fresh fruits and vegetables. This mass preparation makes for lower costs, and more food consumption. Meanwhile, calories expended haven't changed much. Accordingly, Cutler posits that the 20 minute average reduced time of food preparation has resulted in a calorie increase of 100 per day per individual, on average. These extra 100 calories can largely account for a 10-12 lb. weight gain in the American population over the past 20 years.
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He holds a joint appointment in the economics department and in Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
. He graduated from Harvard College, summa cum laude, with a degree in Economics, and then joined the Harvard faculty after receiving his Ph.D. in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in 1991. He served in the administration of Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and was senior health care advisor to Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. From 2003-2008 Cutler was Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for Social Sciences.
While his work on health economics covers a broad range of subtopics, he is particularly notable for his work on the value of the health care system as a whole. Much of his work argues that the United States has realized good "bang for its buck" by any reasonable measure of the value of a statistical year of life in good health. That is, while health care is extremely expensive, we also place a very high value on documentable health gains. He also argues that we could gain considerably more health for the dollar if reimbursement for care could be tied to the health value of the service instead of the intensity of the service. See his book Your Money or Your Life for a good introduction to David Cutler's views on the United States health care system. The book and Cutler's ideas were the subject of an article in the New York Times Magazine titled The Quality Cure.
Additionally, Cutler's 2003 "Why have Americans become more obese?" discusses rising obesity as an outcome of the revolution in mass food packaging. He includes vacuum packing, improved preservatives, deep freezing, and microwaves as culprits. Consumer prices on items like various frozen foods, soda, and potato chips are increasing at half the rate of fresh fruits and vegetables. This mass preparation makes for lower costs, and more food consumption. Meanwhile, calories expended haven't changed much. Accordingly, Cutler posits that the 20 minute average reduced time of food preparation has resulted in a calorie increase of 100 per day per individual, on average. These extra 100 calories can largely account for a 10-12 lb. weight gain in the American population over the past 20 years.
External links
- David Cutler's faculty webpage at Harvard University
- David Cutler's faculty webpage at the Harvard Kennedy School
- The Quality Cure
- Improving Health Care Quality: Is Medicare a Good Candidate for Pay-for-Performance? Policy Forum by the Cato InstituteCato InstituteThe Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
, November 2, 2006, featuring David Cutler, Dr. Sandra Gadson, Michael F. Cannon and Gail Wilensky, audio and video