US

ACA Subsidies

Question A:

Without extension of the expanded public subsidies for Affordable Care Act healthcare plans, there would be a substantial rise in the number of Americans without health insurance.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question B:

Losses in the health and well-being of Americans who could no longer afford health insurance in the absence of the subsidies would exceed the savings from the expiration.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question C:

The possible need for subsidies substantially in excess of those initially provided by the ACA indicates that other changes in the healthcare system are needed to enable broad-based access.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question A Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Aguiar
Mark Aguiar
Princeton
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT
Strongly Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Bergemann
Dirk Bergemann
Yale
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Agree, though interactions with other state/federal policies are important.
-see background information here
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Einav
Liran Einav
Stanford
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Glaeser
Edward Glaeser
Harvard
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Hurst
Erik Hurst
Chicago Booth
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
6
Bio/Vote History
No discussion of cost benefit. Large increase is COVID driven.? This returns to pre-COVID.
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
With low confidence I would bet that half a million fewer people will be insured.
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Peterson Institute for International Economics
Strongly Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Pathak
Parag Pathak
MIT
Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
The attendant large price increases will drive some people away from health care.
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Strongly Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
There seems universal agreement on this point.
Scott Morton
Fiona Scott Morton
Yale
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Stantcheva
Stefanie Stantcheva
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Stokey
Nancy Stokey
University of Chicago
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Syverson
Chad Syverson
Chicago Booth
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Demand curves slope down; if price goes up, quantity goes down
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
The annual check to see if we think demand curves slope down
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Werning
Ivan Werning
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History

Question B Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Aguiar
Mark Aguiar
Princeton
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
This clearly depends on how we value the wellbeing of the less well off population-being insured seems to be especially important for psychological well-being
Bergemann
Dirk Bergemann
Yale
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Uncertain
8
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Einav
Liran Einav
Stanford
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Glaeser
Edward Glaeser
Harvard
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Incomplete evidence on impacts of those impacted by ACA subsidies. Best evidence on benefits is:
-see background information here
Hurst
Erik Hurst
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Disagree
4
Bio/Vote History
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Peterson Institute for International Economics
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Pathak
Parag Pathak
MIT
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
It is difficult to be precise about this trade-off, but experience shows that health insurance is cost effective in improving well being and shifting medical care away from emergency services to most cost-effective measures.
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
All this depends on how health and well-being are valued, of course.
Scott Morton
Fiona Scott Morton
Yale
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Stantcheva
Stefanie Stantcheva
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Stokey
Nancy Stokey
University of Chicago
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Syverson
Chad Syverson
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
8
Bio/Vote History
My somewhat distant reading is that there is mixed evidence on the health effects of having insurance
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Hard to lnow
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
There may be more cost effective ways of achieving the same gain in health, but there is little doubt that the ACA subsidies are (were)
Werning
Ivan Werning
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History

Question C Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Acemoglu
Daron Acemoglu
MIT
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Aguiar
Mark Aguiar
Princeton
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Altonji
Joseph Altonji
Yale
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Auerbach
Alan Auerbach
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Autor
David Autor
MIT
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Banerjee
Abhijit Banerjee
MIT
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
I found this difficult to interpret. We can deliver broad based healthcare without changing the system but it is likely to be cheaper if we take that route
Bergemann
Dirk Bergemann
Yale
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Bertrand
Marianne Bertrand
Chicago
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Brunnermeier
Markus Brunnermeier
Princeton Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Chevalier
Judith Chevalier
Yale
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Cutler
David Cutler
Harvard
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Duffie
Darrell Duffie
Stanford
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Edlin
Aaron Edlin
Berkeley
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Eichengreen
Barry Eichengreen
Berkeley
Strongly Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Einav
Liran Einav
Stanford
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Fair
Ray Fair
Yale
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Glaeser
Edward Glaeser
Harvard
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Goldberg
Pinelopi Goldberg
Yale
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Greenstone
Michael Greenstone
University of Chicago
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Hart
Oliver Hart
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Hoxby
Caroline Hoxby
Stanford
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Hoynes
Hilary Hoynes
Berkeley
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
May require changes in health system OR other parts of our economic system.
Hurst
Erik Hurst
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Judd
Kenneth Judd
Stanford
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
Chicago Booth
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Kashyap
Anil Kashyap
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
The system we have now doesn't match the one that was designed initially.
Klenow
Pete Klenow
Stanford
Strongly Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Levin
Jonathan Levin
Stanford
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Maskin
Eric Maskin
Harvard
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Nordhaus
William Nordhaus
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Obstfeld
Maurice Obstfeld
Peterson Institute for International Economics
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Pathak
Parag Pathak
MIT
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Samuelson
Larry Samuelson
Yale
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
The current US health care system stands out among developed nations by spending more while achieving less.
Scheinkman
José Scheinkman
Columbia University
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Schmalensee
Richard Schmalensee
MIT
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Not a great question: what's the standard for "broad-based"? That our health care system needs fundamental change is beyond doubt, of course.
Scott Morton
Fiona Scott Morton
Yale
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Shapiro
Carl Shapiro
Berkeley
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Shimer
Robert Shimer
University of Chicago
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Stantcheva
Stefanie Stantcheva
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Stock
James Stock
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Stokey
Nancy Stokey
University of Chicago
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Syverson
Chad Syverson
Chicago Booth
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Thaler
Richard Thaler
Chicago Booth
Strongly Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
We pay high prices and get mediocre outcomes so we know the system is bad but those making the big bucks will fight to keep the status quo.
Udry
Christopher Udry
Northwestern
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Werning
Ivan Werning
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History