The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is responding to the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic by proposing to hide from the public a rating that lets consumers compare hospitals' safety records and to waive approximately $350 million in financial penalties for roughly 750 hospitals with the worst patient-safety track records.
The use of Groupon and other pricing tools is symptomatic of a health care market where patients desperately want a deal — or at least know the price beforehand.