The Volokh Conspiracy

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Volokh Conspiracy

Harvard professors learn not to like Obamacare

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The New York Times's Robert Pear reports that many Harvard University faculty are unhappy with the effects the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is having upon their health insurance plan. His article begins:

For years, Harvard's experts on health economics and policy have advised presidents and Congress on how to provide health benefits to the nation at a reasonable cost. But those remedies will now be applied to the Harvard faculty, and the professors are in an uproar.

Members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the heart of the 378-year-old university, voted overwhelmingly in November to oppose changes that would require them and thousands of other Harvard employees to pay more for health care. The university says the increases are in part a result of the Obama administration's Affordable Care Act, which many Harvard professors championed. . . .

"Harvard is a microcosm of what's happening in health care in the country," said David M. Cutler, a health economist at the university who was an adviser to President Obama's 2008 campaign. But only up to a point: Professors at Harvard have until now generally avoided the higher expenses that other employers have been passing on to employees. That makes the outrage among the faculty remarkable, Mr. Cutler said, because "Harvard was and remains a very generous employer."

UPDATE: Michael Cannon asks "Is the faculty of Harvard University irrational?"

[Note: As originally posted, I referenced Harvard law faculty. My bad. The post has been edited to just reference Harvard University faculty generally.]