Obamacare Architect Cutler: Lengthy Fix Could Prompt 'Death Spiral'

An Obamacare "death spiral" is possible if the fix President Barack Obama lasts more than a year, or if there is an imbalance in the exchanges, said David Cutler, Harvard economics professor, and one of the Affordable Care Act's architects.

Appearing Thursday on Fox News Channel's "The Kelly File," Cutler, a former senior healthcare adviser to Obama, said the program also could be doomed if healthy people stay away from the exchanges and sick people sign up.

The two disparate pools would create an unpredictable imbalance as people moved from one group to the other based on how healthy they are.

But Cutler stressed that he expects the one-year extension by Obama, allowing people to keep current plans, will not end in tragedy for the program.

"If it turns out to be temporary, then we'll be OK," he said.

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