While it is uncertain what the effects of the new health care reform known as Obamacare will have on the industry, it is apparent that these changes will impact the property and casualty industry as well. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more people will have access to health insurance. Due to the increase in people eligible to see a physician, physician’s will have a higher risk and liability. Thus, they may want to increase their insurance coverage for malpractice reasons since they may be seeing more patients in less time. This may lead to more errors made by physicians since patient treatment will be rushed. While Obamacare is meant to expedite the process of seeing a physician, there will be more people trying to access their health providers at the same time. The Obama administration believes this will decrease people taking sick days off from work if there is better access to health care. Still, if there is a doctor shortage due to so many people in need of medical attention, workers will be out of the office much longer, further delaying their return. Overall, it is uncertain what effects Obamacare will have on the P/C industry. To learn more on some future possible effects on the P/C industry, click here.
