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What a practice needs to know about the most prevalent forces in the marketplace People are shopping for healthcare now the way they would a car. They size up what each model offers, the price ranges, the features, how well it fits into their lifestyle, and whether the dealer offers any money back. Practices thus have to become proactive about attracting patients by offering unique service lines and better customer service and being transparent about their prices. One large practice leading the way is the Torrance, CA-based HealthCare Partners Medical Group, whose efforts to increase pricing transparency were recently highlighted in an article in the Los Angeles Times.