Daniel P. Kessler

Daniel P. Kessler is the Keith and Jan Hurlbut Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and a professor at both Stanford Law School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He holds a PhD in economics from MIT and a JD from Stanford Law School, blending expertise in law, economics, and public policy. His research focuses on health care economics, antitrust, industrial organization, and law and economics.

• PhD in Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Juris Doctor (JD), Stanford Law School

His primary research interests include health care policy, US labor markets, budget & spending, regulation, and property rights. He is particularly known for his critical analyses of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance markets. His work often explores how market structures, regulations, and legal frameworks affect health care costs, provider behavior, and patient outcomes.

Kessler’s recent publications reveal a consistent focus on health care reform, hospital integration, opioid prescribing, and fiscal sustainability. His articles and books, such as Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise, advocate for market-based solutions to reduce costs and improve efficiency in the U.S. health care system. He frequently collaborates with leading scholars like John F. Cogan, R. Glenn Hubbard, and Mark McClellan.

• The Effect of Hospital Ownership on Medical Productivity
• Designing Hospital Antitrust Policy to Promote Social Welfare
• The Responsiveness of Medicaid Spending to the Federal Subsidy
• Non-Profit Hospital Governance, Conduct, and CEO Pay
• The Relationship Between Provider Age and Opioid Prescribing Behavior

Among his scientific contributions are influential working papers and commentaries published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, Hoover Institution Press, and major journals. He is a founding member of the Hoover Program on the Foundations of Economic Prosperity and participates in the Health Care Working Group. Kessler has not received explicitly listed awards in the text, but his sustained publication record and senior fellowship at Hoover reflect high scholarly recognition. He regularly contributes to public discourse through op-eds in the Wall Street Journal, Hoover Digest, and The Hill, demonstrating active engagement in policy debates.

Kessler advises on health and economic policy and has been involved in research on public opinion, labor supply effects of health reform, and malpractice liability. He does not appear to have formal PhD advisees listed, but his collaborative work suggests mentorship and leadership in research teams. He is not associated with a specific lab but contributes to interdisciplinary research initiatives at Hoover and Stanford.