<\/a><\/p>\n Long before the realization of the Affordable Care Act<\/strong>, health care costs outstripped inflation, without\u00a0paralleled\u00a0improvements in health care quality<\/em>. The system did not reward quality or efficiency. Providers were paid for the quantity of care, rather than the quality. And technology was not a factor in delivering smarter care.<\/p>\n The Affordable Care Act<\/strong> offers a process to improve the quality of health care and lower costs for the individual and the nation as a whole. This helps alleviate making costly mistakes and readmissions, keeping patients healthy, incentivizing quality instead of quantity, and creating the health information technology infrastructure that enables innovative payment and delivery models.<\/p>\n