One insurance analyst believes that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could raise the stakes for medical malpractice insurance carriers.  He argues that the influx of new patients could overwhelm an already stressed primary care system, reducing the amount of time and attention doctors can give to patients, and increasing the likelihood of mistakes.  He also argues that increased reliance on nurse practitioners and physician assistants would create a higher likelihood of mistakes.  Finally, requirements to convert to digital medical records could lead to increased input errors.

That said, the analyst believes that the law’s greater emphasis on preventive care should be a net plus for doctors and patients, and the benefits of electronic medical records and their ability to increase coordination between providers greatly outweigh the negatives.

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