Patient safety and quality improvement have become focal points of the U.S. healthcare system, particularly with the passing of the Affordable Care Act. The way healthcare services are being paid for is changing and is designed to incentivize providing high quality care rather than volume. Please 1) explain why patient safety and quality of care has become a focus area for policy makers, 2) describe the characteristics of the U.S. healthcare system that contribute to ongoing issues with patient safety and quality of care, and 3) discuss how changes in Medicare reimbursement structures are being used to incentivize provider performance. The response should be a MINIMUM of 200 words to accurately answer the question.